Architecture for in-space robotic assembly of a modular space telescope

Creators: Lee, Nicolas; Backes, Paul; Burdick, Joel W.; Pellegrino, Sergio; Fuller, Christine; Hogstrom, Kristina; Kennedy, Brett; Kim, Junggon; Mukherjee, Rudranarayan; Seubert, Carl; Wu, Yen-Hung

Abstract

An architecture and conceptual design for a robotically assembled, modular space telescope (RAMST) that enables extremely large space telescopes to be conceived is presented. The distinguishing features of the RAMST architecture compared with prior concepts include the use of a modular deployable structure, a general-purpose robot, and advanced metrology, with the option of formation flying. To demonstrate the feasibility of the robotic assembly concept, we present a reference design using the RAMST architecture for a formation flying 100-m telescope that is assembled in Earth orbit and operated at the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2.

Additional Information

© 2016 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Paper 15078SS received Nov. 14, 2015; accepted for publication Jun. 6, 2016; published online Jul. 11, 2016. The research was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. K. Hogstrom was supported through this work by NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship #NNX13AL67H. N. Lee was supported through this work by a postdoctoral fellowship from the W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies. The authors thank G. Malakhova and M. Cheung for their participation in the development of CAD models and DTM prototypes.

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