Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are a unique type of material
characterized by two properties that ordinary metals do not
exhibit: Shape Memory Effect (SME) and pseudoelasticity. SMAs can
be actuated mechanically and/or thermally, and these properties
have already been exploited in a wide variety of engineering
applications. The appearance of SMAs in space applications,
however, is more recent. This paper presents the motivations
leading to interest for SMAs in space applications, as well as an
overview of their use from tested mechanisms to ones still in
development. As will be shown, many SMA space applications are
single use and thermally activated. Although heating is never a
problem, cooling SMA actuators in a reasonable amount of time
still has to be achieved. A thermoelectric cooling system that
allows for thermal control will be presented. This active cooling
can allow better thermal actuation of SMA mechanisms using the two
way SME. The last section of the paper describes their suitability
for passive vibration isolation during launch, with a simple
design using SMA hollow tubes at the interface between the payload
and the spacecraft.
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