Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope

L. Javier Romualdez; Steven J. Benton; Anthony M. Brown; Paul Clark; Christopher J. Damaren; Tim Eifler; Aurelien A. Fraisse; Mathew N. Galloway; John W. Hartley; Mathilde Jauzac; William C. Jones; Lun Li; Thuy Vy T. Luu; Richard J. Massey; Jacqueline McCleary; C. Barth Netterfield; Susan Redmond; Jason D. Rhodes; Jürgen Schmoll; Sut Ieng Tam

doi:10.1117/12.2307754

Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope

L. Javier Romualdez, Steven J. Benton, Anthony M. Brown, Paul Clark, Christopher J. Damaren, Tim Eifler, Aurelien A. Fraisse, Mathew N. Galloway, John W. Hartley, Mathilde Jauzac, William C. Jones, Lun Li, Thuy Vy T. Luu, Richard J. Massey, Jacqueline McCleary, C. Barth Netterfield, Susan Redmond, Jason D. Rhodes, Jürgen Schmoll, Sut Ieng Tam

Astronomy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Balloon-borne astronomy is a unique tool that allows for a level of image stability and significantly reduced atmospheric interference without the often prohibitive cost and long development time-scale that are characteristic of space-borne facility-class instruments. The Super-pressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) is a wide-field imager designed to provide 0.02" image stability over a 0.5 degree field-of-view for deep exposures within the visible-to-near-UV (300-900 um). As such, SuperBIT is a suitable platform for a wide range of balloon-borne observations, including solar and extrasolar planetary spectroscopy as well as resolved stellar populations and distant galaxies. We report on the overall payload design and instrumentation methodologies for SuperBIT as well as telescope and image stability results from two test flights. Prospects for the SuperBIT project are outlined with an emphasis on the development of a fully operational, three-month science flight from New Zealand in 2020.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII
Editors	Luc Simard, Luc Simard, Christopher J. Evans, Hideki Takami
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Print)	9781510619579
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2307754
State	Published - 2018
Event	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII 2018 - Austin, United States Duration: Jun 10 2018 → Jun 14 2018

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	10702
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Other

Other	Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Austin
Period	6/10/18 → 6/14/18

Keywords

UV photometry
diffraction limited
exoplanet spectroscopy
high-resolution
scientific ballooning
strong lensing
sub-arcsecond stability
super-pressure balloon platform
three-axis stabilization
visible-to-near-UV
weak lensing
wide-field

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2307754

Cite this

Romualdez, L. J., Benton, S. J., Brown, A. M., Clark, P., Damaren, C. J., Eifler, T., Fraisse, A. A., Galloway, M. N., Hartley, J. W., Jauzac, M., Jones, W. C., Li, L., Luu, T. V. T., Massey, R. J., McCleary, J., Netterfield, C. B., Redmond, S., Rhodes, J. D., Schmoll, J., & Tam, S. I. (2018). Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope. In L. Simard, L. Simard, C. J. Evans, & H. Takami (Eds.), Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII Article 107020R (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 10702). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2307754

Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope. / Romualdez, L. Javier; Benton, Steven J.; Brown, Anthony M. et al.
Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII. ed. / Luc Simard; Luc Simard; Christopher J. Evans; Hideki Takami. SPIE, 2018. 107020R (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 10702).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Romualdez, LJ, Benton, SJ, Brown, AM, Clark, P, Damaren, CJ, Eifler, T, Fraisse, AA, Galloway, MN, Hartley, JW, Jauzac, M, Jones, WC, Li, L, Luu, TVT, Massey, RJ, McCleary, J, Netterfield, CB, Redmond, S, Rhodes, JD, Schmoll, J & Tam, SI 2018, Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope. in L Simard, L Simard, CJ Evans & H Takami (eds), Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII., 107020R, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 10702, SPIE, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII 2018, Austin, United States, 6/10/18. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2307754

Romualdez LJ, Benton SJ, Brown AM, Clark P, Damaren CJ, Eifler T et al. Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope. In Simard L, Simard L, Evans CJ, Takami H, editors, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII. SPIE. 2018. 107020R. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering). doi: 10.1117/12.2307754

Romualdez, L. Javier ; Benton, Steven J. ; Brown, Anthony M. et al. / Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT : A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope. Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII. editor / Luc Simard ; Luc Simard ; Christopher J. Evans ; Hideki Takami. SPIE, 2018. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering).

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abstract = "Balloon-borne astronomy is a unique tool that allows for a level of image stability and significantly reduced atmospheric interference without the often prohibitive cost and long development time-scale that are characteristic of space-borne facility-class instruments. The Super-pressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) is a wide-field imager designed to provide 0.02{"} image stability over a 0.5 degree field-of-view for deep exposures within the visible-to-near-UV (300-900 um). As such, SuperBIT is a suitable platform for a wide range of balloon-borne observations, including solar and extrasolar planetary spectroscopy as well as resolved stellar populations and distant galaxies. We report on the overall payload design and instrumentation methodologies for SuperBIT as well as telescope and image stability results from two test flights. Prospects for the SuperBIT project are outlined with an emphasis on the development of a fully operational, three-month science flight from New Zealand in 2020.",

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ER -

Overview, design, and flight results from SuperBIT: A high-resolution, wide-field, visible-to-near-UV balloon-borne astronomical telescope

Abstract

Publication series

Other

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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