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Design Study of an 8 Meter Monolithic Mirror UV/Optical Space TelescopeThis paper will review a recent NASA MSFC preliminary study that demonstrated the feasibility of launching a 6 to 8 meter class monolithic primary mirror telescope to Sun-Earth L2 using an Ares V. The study started with the unique capabilities of the Ares V vehicle and examined the feasibility of launching a large aperture low cost low risk telescope based on a conventional ground based glass primary mirror. Specific technical areas studied included optical design; structural design/analysis including primary mirror support structure, sun shade and secondary mirror support structure; thermal analysis; launch vehicle performance and trajectory; spacecraft including structure, propulsion, GN & C, avionics, power systems and reaction wheels; operations & servicing, mass budget and system cost. The study telescope was an on-axis three-mirror anastigmatic design with a fine steering mirror. The observatory has a 100 arc-minute (8.4 X 12 arc-minutes) of diffraction limited field of view at a wavelength les than 500 nm. The study assumed that the primary mirror would be fabricated from an existing Schott Zerodur residual VLT blank edged to 6.2 meters, 175 mm thick at the edge with a mass of 11,000 kg. The entire mass budget for the observatory including primary mirror, structure, light baffle tube, instruments, space craft, avionics, etc. is less than 40,000 kg - a 33% mass margin on the Ares V's 60,000 kg Sun-Earth L2 capability. An 8 meter class observatory would have a total mass of less than 60,000 kg of which the primary mirror is the largest contributor.
Document ID
20080032943
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Stahl, H. Philip
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
May 23, 2008
Subject Category
Optics
Meeting Information
Meeting: SPIE: Astronomical Instrumentation 2008
Location: Marseille
Country: France
Start Date: June 23, 2008
End Date: June 28, 2008
Sponsors: International Society for Optical Engineering
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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