Abstract
Advanced technology mirrors for large space telescopes are being developed that use thin facesheets controlled by actuators. This concept was proven with a 50 cm prototype and is now being implemented for a 2 m cryogenic mirror that weighs only 40 kg. The reflective surface is provided by a glass facesheet, typically 2 mm thick, which is attached to a stiff lightweight support structure through a set of screw-type actuators. This system allows periodic adjustments with the actuators to maintain the surface figure as measured from a wavefront sensor. The optical surface accuracy and stability are maintained by the active system, which can be made using lightweight carbon fiber laminates that economically provide stiffness.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 84-85 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 3749 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
| Event | Proceedings of the 1999 18th Congress of the International Commission for Optics (ICO XVIII): Optics for the Next Millennium - San Francisco, CA, USA Duration: Aug 2 1999 → Aug 6 1999 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computer Science Applications
- Applied Mathematics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering