Opterus R&D | News & Media

Opterus Awarded $10.2 Million NASA Contract to Engineer Solar Sail Propulsion System

Opterus’ lightweight structural system will deploy and shape the largest solar sail ever flown, converting three SBIR phases into a mission-critical flight system.

LOVELAND, CO - April 14, 2026

Opterus has received a $10.2 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract from NASA to provide the structural deployment system for the agency’s next solar sail spacecraft. Opterus is developing a system to deploy and control a 1,600-square-meter sail, roughly the size of a hockey rink, using four 30-meter composite booms and integrated mechanisms. Delivery to NASA is planned for early 2028.

The award advances Opterus’ Trussed Collapsible Tubular Mast (TCTM) technology, a lightweight composite boom architecture proven through earlier SBIR awards. The booms are designed to remain stiff and thermally stable after being tightly coiled for launch, then autonomously spool out in an X-shaped configuration to support the sail.

Opterus Receives SBIR Phase II Award from NASA to Develop a Small Satellite Deployable Antenna Reflector

With support from NASA, Opterus’s Spiral Wrapped Antenna Technology seeks higher ground as a deployable antenna solution for high-frequency operations.

Case study video for AON M2+

“What’s Next” Pioneering Expandable Space Structures

CompositesWorld

High-temperature composite 3D printing facilitates design, manufacture of deployable space structures.

OEDIT grant from state of Colorado

Opterus receives prestigious OEDIT grant from state of Colorado to help fund product development of innovative technology.

Opterus wins coveted role in Catalyst Accelerator

Opterus R&D of Loveland Colorado brings design expertise to Catalyst Space Accelerator collaboration.

SBIR Capture

Opterus achieves outstanding capture rate for SBIR proposals awarded in 2019, winning 90% of awards proposed

Opterus Awarded NASA Contract

Six-month Phase I SBIR program is to develop high-strength composite booms and wing deployment mechanisms for vertical lunar surface solar array

Publications

Below is a list of publications written by members of our team at Optures.

Murphey, T. W., et al (2015). High Strain Composites. In 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference (pp. 1–53). Kissimmee, FL.
Murphey, T. W., Peterson, M. E., and Grigoriev, M. M. (2015), “Large Strain Four-Point Bending of Thin Unidirectional Composites,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 52, May 2015, pp. 882–895.
Murphey, T. W., et al (2013), “Four Point Bending of Thin Unidirectional Composite Laminas,” 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Boston, MA.
Peterson, M. E., and Murphey, T. W. (2013), “Large Deformation Bending of Thin Composite Tape Spring Laminates,” 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Boston, MA.
Murphey, T. W., et al (2011), “Nonlinear elastic constitutive modeling of large strains in carbon fiber composite flexures,” 16th International Conference on Composite Structures, A.J.M. Ferreira, ed., Porto, Portugal: FEUP.
Sanford, G. E., Biskner, A., and Murphey, T. W. (2010), “Large Strain Behavior of Thin Unidirectional Composite Flexures,” 51st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Orlando, FL.
Murphey, T. W. (2009), “Large Strain Composite Materials In Deployable Space Structures,” 17th International Conference on Composite Materials, Edinburgh, UK: The British Composites Society.
Murphey, T. W., et al (2007), “A Test Method to Assess the Foldability of Flexible Structural Materials,” 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Honolulu, HI. Pollard, E. L., and Murphey, T. W. (2006), “Development of Deployable Elastic Composite Shape Memory Alloy Reinforced (DECSMAR) Structures,” 47th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Newport, RI.
Murphey, T. W., et al (2001), “Some micromechanics considerations of the folding of rigidizable composite materials,” 42nd AIAA Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Seattle, WA.

Opterus Awarded $10.2 Million NASA Contract to Engineer Solar Sail Propulsion System

Opterus’ lightweight structural system will deploy and shape the largest solar sail ever flown, converting three SBIR phases into a mission-critical flight system.

More Opterus News

Publications