Structural and thermal testing of lightweight reflector panels

The paper describes the test facility developed for testing large lightweight reflective panels with very accurate and stable surfaces, such as the mirror panels of composite construction developed for the NASA's Precision Segmented Reflector (PSR). Special attention is given to the panel construction and the special problems posed by the characteristics of these panels; the design of the Optical/Thermal Vacuum test facility for structural and thermal testing, developed at the U.S. AFPL; and the testing procedure. The results of the PSR panel test program to date are presented. The test data showed that the analytical approaches used for the panel design and for the prediction of the on-orbit panel behavior were adequate.