Stowable and deployable antenna array

An array antenna deployable from a stowed state, comprising:

• a first plurality of mutually similar, flat, rectangular antenna panels, upon each of which antenna panels at least one flat antenna is disposed, each of said antenna panels defining a thickness dimension associated with its shortest sides, a width dimension associated with second sides, which width dimension is greater than said thickness dimension, and a length dimension associated with its longest sides, which length dimension is greater than said width dimension, each of said antenna panels including a hinged connection to at least one other of said antenna panels, said connection being made along one of said longest sides, to thereby define plural hinged connections and a pair of free ends, said plurality of antenna panels being in a coplanar condition in a deployed state of said array antenna, and being folded along said hinged connections accordian-style in a stowed state of said array antenna, the volume of said antenna in said stowed state being directly related to said thickness dimension, whereby it is desirable to reduce said thickness of said antenna panels to reduce said stowed volume, but the stiffness of said antenna panels is itself thereby reduced so that said antenna array may, in said deployed state, undesirably be deflected away from said coplanar condition;
• a second plurality, smaller in number than said first plurality, of mutually similar, flat, rectangular lateral stiffening panels, each of said lateral stiffening panels defining a thickness dimension associated with its shortest sides, a width dimension associated with its second sides, which width dimension is greater than said thickness dimension, and a length dimension associated with its longest sides, which length dimension is greater than said width dimension, each of said lateral stiffening panels being associated with either (a) one of said free ends or (b) one of alternate ones of said hinged connections, each of said stiffening panels being hingedly joined along one of its long sides to its associated one of said free ends and said alternate ones of said hinged connections;
• and
• a plurality of mutually similar, flat, rectangular, foldable longitudinal stiffening panels, each of said longitudinal stiffening panels being capable of assuming a folded state and an unfolded state, each of said longitudinal stiffening panels in said unfolded state defining a thickness dimension associated with its shortest sides, a width dimension associated with its shortest sides, which width dimension associated with its second sides, which width dimension is greater than said thickness dimension, and a length dimension associated with its longest sides, which length dimension is greater than said width dimension and which is also substantially equal to twice said width dimension of one of said antenna panels, each of said longitudinal stiffening panels being foldable along a line extending parallel to, and midway between, said second sides of said longitudinal stiffening panel, each of said longitudinal stiffening panels having one of its said second sides hingedly attached, at a location, to one of said lateral stiffening panels along a line parallel to one of said second sides of said one of said lateral stiffening panels, and the other one of its said second sides hingedly attached, at a corresponding location, to the next adjacent one of said lateral stiffening panels.