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Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) telescope overviewThe Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) will be the first true infrared observatory in space, building upon the technical and scientific experience gained through its two NASA survey-oriented predecessors: the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and the Cosmic Background Explorer. During its minimum five year lifetime, the SIRTF will perform pointed scientific observations at wavelengths from 1.8 to 1200 microns with an increase in sensitivity over previous missions of several orders of magnitude. This paper discusses a candidate design for the SIRTF telescope, encompassing optics, cryostat, and instrument accommodation, which has been undertaken to provide a fulcrum for the development of functional requirements, interface definition, risk assessment and cost. The telescope optics employ a baffled Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain system with a 1-m class primary mirror, an active secondary mirror, and a stationary facetted tertiary mirror. The optics are embedded in a large superfluid He cryostat designed to maintain the entire telescope-instrument system at temperatures below 3 K.
Document ID
19930054385
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Schember, Helene
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Manhart, Paul
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Guiar, Cecilia
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Stevens, James H.
(JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1991
Publication Information
Publication: In: Infrared technology XVII; Proceedings of the Meeting, San Diego, CA, July 22-26, 1991 (A93-38376 15-35)
Publisher: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
93A38382
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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