Research
Our research focus is on structures that change shape to enable novel space missions. Key areas include the design, fabrication, and testing of deployable spacecraft structures: structures that need to be folded inside compact volumes for launch and then unfolded in space. Active research projects as of 31 July 2025 are listed below.
Origami-Tensegrity Hybrid Structures
We are developing designs for foldable origami-inspired structures that attain stiffness and actuation through tensioned cables. We have developed models for the stiffness of such structures and are validating these models through experiments and simulations.
Publications and Presentations
[2024] M Ochalek, A Haraszti, and M Arya, Adaptive Stiffness and Shape Control of a Modular Origami-Inspired Robot, Origami8: Proceedings of the 8th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education (8OSME), Melbourne, Australia. [pdf]
[2024] ME Ochalek and M Arya, Design and Modeling of Pre-stressed, Flat-Folding, Modular Origami Tube Structures, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando FL. [link, pdf]
[2023] M Ochalek and M Arya, Cable-Actuated Prestressed Origami Tubes, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference, Atlanta, GA
Origami Wrapping of Solid-Surface Parabolic Reflectors
We are developing mechanics-based methods for the design of curved-crease origami patterns for the compact and low-strain stowage of parabolic thin-shell structures. These structures have applications as radio reflectors, optical mirrors, and solar concentrators. We are investigating the folding, deployment, stiffness, and stability of such structures.
Publications
[2025] A Haraszti and M Arya, Curved-Crease Origami Wrapping of Doubly Curved Shells Using Coupled Dynamic Relaxation, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando FL. [link, pdf]
Lunar Crater Radio Telescope
We are designing, building, and testing (at small scale) structural technologies needed for a conceptual future large ultra-lightweight kilometer-scale parabolic radio observatory deployed in a crater on the far side of the Moon.
Publications
[2024] D Pisanti, A Goel, G Gupta, M Arya, N Chahat, J Lazio, P Goldsmith, and S Bandyopadhyay, Modeling Science Return from the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, vol 382, no 2271, pp 20230073. [link]
[2023] M Arya, JT Herrscher, D Pisanti, A Verniani, M Delapierre, G Gupta, A Goel, J Lazio, P Goldsmith, and S Bandyopadhyay, Kilometer-Scale Parabolic Reflector for a Radio Telescope in a Lunar Crater, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, National Harbor MD. [link, pdf]
[2022] G Gupta, M Arya, A Goel, S Bandyopadhyay, P Goldsmith, P Mcgarey, J Lazio, and N Chahat, Detector Development for the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope, IEEE Wireless Antenna and Microwave Symposium (WAMS), Rourkela, India. [link]
[2021] S Bandyopadhyay, P McGarey, A Goel, R Rafizadeh, M Delapierre, M Arya, J Lazio, P Goldsmith, N Chahat, A Stoica, M Quadrelli, I Nesnas, K Jenks, and G Hallinan, Conceptual Design of the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) on the Far Side of the Moon, IEEE Aerospace Conference. [link, pdf]
[2020] P McGarey, S Bandyopadhyay, R Rafizadeh, A Goel, M Arya, I Nesnas, J Lazio, P Goldsmith, A Stoica, M Quadrelli, and G Hallinan, A Concept for the Deployment of a Large Lunar Crater Radio Telescope using Teams of Tethered Robots, International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation (ISAIRAS). [link]
Radio-Frequency MetaLens using Multi-layer Tensioned Membranes
We are researching lightweight stiff multi-layer tensioned membrane structures for enabling radio-frequency (RF) meta-lenses at extreme frequencies in the W- and G-bands (90 GHz and 170 GHz). These structures require many closely spaced tensioned membrane layers aligned to each other. Folding and deployment of such structures requires novel approaches.
Publications
[2025] R Hodges, D Hoppe, M Arya, K Aaron, and D Hofmann, Deployable MetaLens for G-Band Earth Science Applications, IEEE AP-S/URSI 2025.
[2024] JE Park, GC Brown, M Arya, D Hoppe, D Hofmann, and R Hodges, Multilayer Tensioned Membrane Structures for Radio-Frequency Lenses, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando FL. [link, pdf]
Origami-Wrapped Structures with Corrugated Unfolded Forms
We are investigating corrugated thin-shell structures that can be compactly stowed by origami wrapping. Such structures retain their corrugations in the deployed form, allowing them to have stiffness when deployed. These corrugations also enable straightforward methods for automatic stowage and deployment of such structures.
Publications and Presentations
[2024] M Kreider and M Arya, Origami-wrapped structures with corrugated unfolded forms, AIAA Journal, vol 62, no 5, pp 1789-1801. [link, pdf]
[2024] M Kreider and M Arya, Origami-Wrapped Thin-Shell Structures with Corrugated Unfolded Forms: Design, Analysis, and Experiments, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference, Chicago, IL
[2019] M Arya, Origami wrapping patterns for non-planar unfolded forms, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference, Pasadena, CA
Starshades
Starshades are large deployable structures that may be used by future space telescopes to suppress starlight to enable the imaging and characterization of Earth-like exoplanets. Starshades need to be 10s of meters in diameter when deployed, and attain shape precision and stability on the order of 100s of micrometers. We are advancing structural designs, analysis methods, and fabrication techniques for starshade structures.
Publications
[2024] G Antoun, S Ferraro, R McDonell, SC Bradford, and M Arya, A Validated Numerical Model of Deployment Accuracy and Repeatability of the Starshade Inner Disk Subsystem, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando FL. [link]
[2022] A Haraszti and M Arya, Origami-Inspired Closeouts for Starshade Inner Disk Optical Shields, ASME IDETC-CIE, St Louis MO. [link, pdf]
[2021] M Arya, FS Mechentel, DR Webb, J Steeves, PD Lisman, SB Shaklan, SC Bradford, E Kelso, K Neff, A Swain, A Iskra, N Beidleman, JD Stienmier, G Freebury, A Tomchek, T Thomas, C Hazelton, K Butler, K Medina, M Pulford, L Adams, D Hepper, and D Turse, Demonstration of deployment repeatability of key subsystems of a furled starshade architecture, Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, vol 7, no 2, pp 021202. [link]
[2021] M Arya, DR Webb, SC Bradford, L Adams, V Cormarkovic, G Wang, M Mobrem, K Neff, N Beidleman, JD Stienmier, G Freebury, KA Medina, D Hepper, DE Turse, G Antoun, C Rupp, and L Hoffman, Origami-Inspired Optical Shield for a Starshade Inner Disk Testbed: Design, Fabrication, and Analysis, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum. [link, pdf]
[2020] M Arya, D Webb, J Steeves, PD Lisman, PA Willems, SC Bradford, E Kelso, K Neff, N Beidleman, JD Stienmier, G Freebury, A Tomchek, T Thomas, C Hazelton, K Butler, K Medina, M Pulford, L Adams, D Hepper, and D Turse, Demonstration of Deployment Accuracy of the Starshade Inner Disk Subsystem, Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando FL. [link, pdf]
[2017] M Arya, D Webb, J McGown, PD Lisman, S Shaklan, SC Bradford, J Steeves, E Hilgemann, B Trease, M Thomson, S Warwick, G Freebury, and J Gull, Starshade mechanical design for the Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission Concept (HabEx), Proc. SPIE 10400, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VIII, San Diego CA. [link, pdf]