ANISOPTER

Anisogrid structures – grid-like designs with different mechanical properties in all directions – are the game-changing technology to save weight, reduce costs and improve performance in modern spacecraft and launchers. Despite their potential, there are currently no cost-effective automated commercial solutions to optimise anisogrid structures. Furthermore, most software solutions rely on computationally demanding finite element analysis methods or manual/semi-automated optimisation protocols. The EU-funded ANISOPTER project plans to use analytic equations to predict the behaviour of anisogrid structures, exploring millions of configurations. The goal is to obtain 10–40 % lighter structures than state-of-the-art in just a few minutes.