SiC lightweight telescopes for advanced space applications. II - Structures technologyA critical technology area for lightweight SiC-based telescope systems is the structural integrity and thermal stability over spaceborne environmental launch and thermal operating conditions. Note, it is highly desirable to have an inherently athermal design of both SiC mirrors and structure. SSG has developed an 8 inch diameter SiC telescope system for brassboard level optical and thermal testing. The brassboard telescope has demonstrated less than 0.2 waves P-V in the visible wavefront change over +50 C to -200 C temperature range. SSG has also fabricated a SiC truss structural assembly and successfully qualified this hardware at environmental levels greater than 3 times higher than normal Delta, Titan, and ARIES launch loads. SSG is currently developing two SiC telescopes; an 20 cm diameter off-axis 3 mirror re-imaging and a 60 cm aperture on-axis 3 mirror re-imager. Both hardware developments will be tested to flight level environmental, optical, and thermal specifications.
Document ID
19930045994
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Anapol, Michael I. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Hadfield, Peter (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Tucker, Theodore (SSG, Inc. Waltham, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: In: Surveillance technologies II; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 21-23, 1992 (A93-29980 11-19)
Publisher: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers