SiC lightweight telescopes for advanced space applications:  1) mirror technology

Michael I. Anapol; Peter Hadfield

doi:10.1117/12.138093

28 August 1992 SiC lightweight telescopes for advanced space applications: 1) mirror technology

Michael I. Anapol, Peter Hadfield

Proceedings Volume 1693, Surveillance Technologies II; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138093
Event: Aerospace Sensing, 1992, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

A SiC based telescope is an extremely attractive emerging technology which offers the lightweight and stiffness features of beryllium, the optical performance of glass to diffraction limited visible resolution, superior optical/thermal stability to cryogenic temperatures, and the cost advantages of an aluminum telescope. SSG has developed various SiC mirrors with and without a silicon coating and tested these mirrors over temperature ranges from +50 C to -250 C. Our test results show less than 0.2 waves P-V in visible wavefront change and no hysteresis over this wide temperature range. Several SSG mirrors are representative of very lightweight SiC/Si mirrors including (1) a 9 cm diameter, high aspect ratio mirror weighing less than 30 grams and (2) a 23 cm diameter eggcrated mirror weighing less than 400 grams. SSG has also designed and analyzed a 0.6 meter SiC based, on axis, three mirror reimaging telescope in which the primary mirror weighs less than 6 kg and a 0.5 meter GOES-like scan mirror. SSG has also diamond turned several general aspheric SiC/Si mirrors with excellent cryo optical performance.

Citation Download Citation

Michael I. Anapol and Peter Hadfield "SiC lightweight telescopes for advanced space applications: 1) mirror technology", Proc. SPIE 1693, Surveillance Technologies II, (28 August 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138093

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