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Published August 10, 2010 | Published
Book Section - Chapter Open

Shape correction of thin mirrors in a reconfigurable modular space telescope

Abstract

In order to facilitate the construction of future large space telescopes, the development of low cost, low mass mirrors is necessary. However, such mirrors suffer from a lack of structural stability, stiffness, and shape accuracy. Active materials and actuators can be used to alleviate this deficiency. For observations in the visible wavelengths, the mirror surface must be controlled to an accuracy on the order of tens of nanometers. This paper presents an exploration of several mirror design concepts and compares their effectiveness at providing accurate shape control. The comparison test is the adjustment of a generic mirror from its manufactured spherical shape to the shape required by various off-axis mirrors in a segmented primary mirror array. A study of thermal effects is also presented and, from these results, a recommended design is chosen.

Additional Information

© 2010 SPIE. This research was sponsored by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS). We would like to thank Dr Mark Lake and Dr Matt Mountain for stimulating comments during the initial formulation of the concepts presented in this paper. Professor Chiara Daraio and Dr Abha Misra have kindly allowed us to present some early results from their research on low CTE, bimetallic mirror films. The nanosatellite mission proposed in Section 4 is a collaboration between Caltech and the University of Surrey. We acknowledge the contribution of Dr Craig Underwood (University of Surrey, UK) to the formulation of this mission concept.

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Published - Patterson2010p13182Adaptive_Optics_Systems_Pts_1-3.pdf

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August 22, 2023
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January 13, 2024