Electrostatically shaped membranes

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing an electrostatically shaped membrane comprising an electrically conductive thin membrane where the periphery of the membrane is free to move in at least one direction, producing an electrical charge on the electrically conductive thin membrane to electrostatically stiffen the membrane and producing a second electrical charge which shapes the electrostatically stiffened thin membrane.
The electrostatically shaped membrane is physically restrained with respect to the second charge to limit the movement of at least one point of the thin membrane relative to the second charge.
A further aspect provides adaptive shaping of the thin membrane by providing sensors operably associated with the membrane for detecting the shape of said membrane and control means responsive to the sensors to control the charges to shape the membrane to produce a preselected performance characteristic of the thin membrane.
A further aspect of the present invention is to provide an electrostatically shaped satellite antenna comprising, an electrically conductive thin membrane where the periphery of the membrane is free to move in at least one direction, a first charge on the electrically conductive thin membrane to electrostatically stiffen the membrane, a second charge which shapes the electrostatically stiffened thin membrane, a restraint for limiting the movement of at least one point of the thin membrane relative to the second charge, sensors operably associated with the membrane for sensing the shape of the membrane, means for selectively controlling the first and second charge to shape the membrane to produce a preselected performance characteristic in the thin membrane, and means for deploying and retracting the thin membrane.