Precision deployable 50 meter-class occulter elements are an enabling technology for a promising new class of space-based observotory for exoplatentary study. The New Worlds Observer mission currently under development is a prime example of such an application. The development of a reliable deployment architecture which provides an occulter with 10,000:1 dimensional stability is required to reduce the risk of this mission to an acceptable level. SpaceDev proposes the development of an occulter deployment system based on their Jackscrew boom technology. A "hybrid" hoop and petal deployment architecture which leverages the reliability and structural efficiency of the Jackscrew system offers a promising solution to this challenge. The proposed effort would: 1. Determine the feasibility of a proposed Jackscrew boom hoop system which meets the packaging, deployment and deployed performance requirements for the New Worlds Observer mission. 2. Develop integrated petal deployment and support architectures which leverage the structural support and deployment actuation offered by the proposed hoop system. 3. Develop dimensional stability analyses of the integrated occulter system in the flight environment to establish critical design margins. 4. Develop a thorough plan for a subsequent Phase 2 program to build a scale model of the integrated occulter system and demonstrate key functional features in collaboration with the New Worlds Observer team.
