while achieving low or near zero stiffness to maximize structural decoupling application_number US 201213587207 A description as is shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration the present invention is embodied in a stiffness reducing system that reduces vibrations or forces transmitted from a vibrating source on the spacecraft to a vibration sensitive object on the spacecraft through a connection that has its stiffness reduced through the use of negative stiffness mechanisms as the present invention is described in detail as applied to particular negative stiffness thermal straps or nsfcls shown in fig1 a 8 those skilled in the art will appreciate that these systems can be used with other structural components used to couple vibration sensitive objects with a vibrating source on a spacecraft fig1 a 3 show one embodiment of a negative stiffness thermal strap or nsfcl 10 made in accordance with the present invention negative stiffness mechanisms are coupled with conventional fcls to reduce their stiffness and improve their structural decoupling the fcl consists of two fcls connected in series a first fcl 11 and a second fcl 16 that are used to connect a vibration sensitive object 28 with a vibrating source not shown the thermal strap 10 is designed to reduce the transmission of omnidirectional vibrations between the vibration sensitive object 28 and the vibrating source the first fcl 11 is made up from a number of individual fcls 18 that are operatively coupled with an axial negative stiffness mechanism 30 and a transverse negative stiffness mechanism 14 each fcl 18 has a first end 20 and a second end 22 each first end 20 is connected to the inner portion 24 of a base structure 23 and each second end 22 is connected to a central hub 26 the base.