Additively manufactured satellite panel with damping

1. A satellite comprising:

a body having an equipment panel including a facesheet and a stiffening structure including a web portion extending from an external side of the facesheet and a flange portion extending from a distal end of the web portion,

a damping layer adhered to the flange portion of the stiffening structure,

payload equipment mounted to an internal side of the facesheet, and

a communication system connected to the body configured to send and receive data while in space,

wherein the facesheet and the stiffening structure are part of a single monolithic structure.

2. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the facesheet and the stiffening structure form an isogrid.

3. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the damping layer comprises a viscoelastic material.

4. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the equipment panel is located to damp axial loads on the satellite during launch.

5. The satellite of claim 4 , wherein the equipment panel is opposite a separation system on the body.

6. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the damping layer is a single continuous layer.

7. The satellite of claim 6 , wherein the stiffening structure forms an intersecting grid and the damping layer has a corresponding intersecting grid shape.

8. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the body is between ten and thirty inches in width and the facesheet has a thickness between 0.05 and 0.125 inches.

9. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein the damping layer has a thickness between 0.5 and 5 millimeters.

10. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein a hardness of the damping layer is selected according to a resonant frequency of the payload equipment.

11. The satellite of claim 10 , wherein the damping layer has a hardness between 20 and 60 on the Shore A hardness scale.

12. A wall panel for a satellite, comprising:

an additively manufactured expanse configured to form part of an external wall structure of a satellite, the expanse having a first side and a second side,

a stiffening structure on the first side of the expanse and integral with the expanse, the stiffening structure forming an intersecting grid and including a web portion extending from the expanse and a flange portion perpendicular to the web portion, and

a single continuous damping layer adhered to and covering the flange portion of the stiffening structure.

13. The wall panel of claim 12 , wherein the expanse and stiffening structure are comprised of laser sintered metal alloy.

14. The wall panel of claim 12 , wherein the expanse and the stiffening structure form an isogrid.

15. The wall panel of claim 12 , wherein the expanse includes side walls extending from each outer edge.

16. The wall panel of claim 15 , wherein the side walls have a scalloped edge.

17. The wall panel of claim 12 , where the web portion and the flange portion of the stiffening structure are each planar.

18. The wall panel of claim 17 , wherein the expanse is planar and rectangular.

19. The wall panel of claim 18 , wherein the grid of the stiffening structure intersects at hexagonal nodes.

20. A method of manufacturing a satellite, comprising:

printing a wall panel including a facesheet and printing a stiffening structure on an external side of the facesheet as a single monolithic structure, including printing a web portion and a flange portion, the web portion extending from the facesheet and the flange portion extending from a distal end of the web portion,

adhering a damping layer to the flange portion of the stiffening structure,

assembling the wall panel into an external wall structure of a satellite, and

mounting payload equipment to an internal side of the facesheet and connecting a communication system configured to send and receive data while in space to the external wall structure.