Deployable support structure for space-based satellite antennas

An antenna support structure comprising:

• a boom;
• a plurality of core boards disposed longitudinally along a length of the boom, each core board defining an opening, the boom passing through the opening in the core boards;
• one or more spacer boards disposed longitudinally along a length of the boom, each spacer board defining an opening, the boom passing through the opening in the spacer boards;
• a top board rotatably affixed to a first end of the boom, the top board comprising a core board;
• a bottom board affixed to a base surface of a stow tube, the bottom board comprising a core board or a spacer board;
• antenna elements, for sending or receiving signals, mounted to one or more of the core boards, a material of the antenna elements comprising a flexible material allowing the elements to be stowed in a restricted volume of the stow tube prior to deployment from the stow tube into an operational configuration;
• tension cords disposed longitudinally along the boom and attached to each one of the plurality of core boards, the one or more spacer boards, the top board, and the bottom board, the tension cords in a tensioned condition to ensure the core boards and the antenna elements thereon are spaced apart as required.