Document Type
Conference Paper
Journal/Book Title/Conference
SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications 2016
Publisher
SPIE
Location
San Diego, CA
Publication Date
9-27-2016
First Page
1
Last Page
13
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Abstract
Multispectral space telescopes with visible to long wave infrared spectral bands provide difficult alignment challenges. The visible channels require precision in alignment and stability to provide good image quality in short wavelengths. This is most often accomplished by choosing materials with near zero thermal expansion glass or ceramic mirrors metered with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) that are designed to have a matching thermal expansion. The IR channels are less sensitive to alignment but they often require cryogenic cooling for improved sensitivity with the reduced radiometric background. Finding efficient solutions to this difficult problem of maintaining good visible image quality at cryogenic temperatures has been explored with the building and testing of a telescope simulator. The telescope simulator is an on-axis ZERODUR® mirror, CFRP metered set of optics. Testing has been completed to accurately measure telescope optical element alignment and mirror figure changes in a cryogenic space simulated environment. Measured alignment error and mirror figure error test results are reported with a discussion of their impact on system optical performance.
Recommended Citation
Newswander, Trent; Hooser, Preston; and Champagne, James, "Multispectral Optical Telescope Alignment Testing for Cryogenic Space Environment" (2016). Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications. Paper 246.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/sdl_pubs/246