Folding spacecraft design could be enhanced with Japan’s ancient origami patterns

Japanese origami-inspired "bloom patterns" developed at Brigham Young University could revolutionize spacecraft design. These flat-foldable structures unfold like flower petals, enabling compact launch configurations that reliably deploy into full-sized telescopes, solar arrays, antennas, and optical devices in space. The radially expansive designs also show promise for Earth applications including portable shelters and robotics.