The ISOSAT Small Satellite: A Design in Isogrid Technology

ISOSAT, a small hexagonal shaped satellite structure, was designed and constructed in the Industrial Technology Department at Utah State University as a senior research project using automated manufacturing techniques and incorporating the "Isogrid" structure concept. Isogrid applications can be found in projects such as Skylab, most cylindrical structural elements of the Delta rocket and in the engine shrouds of Boeing's new 777 commercial airliners. The basis of the Isogrid is the repeating pattern of equilateral triangles which make up the structure. This pattern, machined into solid aluminum plates, results in a substantial weight savings with an acceptable reduction in structural strength. The intersections of adjacent triangles are referred to as nodes. These nodes serve as uniformly distributed attachment points for the mounting of instrumentation and other hardware.