HERDS: deployable structures for artificial-gravity habitats
Northeastern Global News covered our High-Expansion-Ratio Deployable Structures (HERDS). These scissor-based pop-up trusses pack compactly but could extend to kilometer scale, supporting spinning habitats that help astronauts keep muscle mass on long missions. Prof. Lipton also flew on a parabolic flight in 2025 to test the hardware in microgravity.