The NASA 48" Telescope

Raymond F. Delgado

doi:10.1117/12.953928

1 September 1974 The NASA 48" Telescope

Raymond F. Delgado

Proceedings Volume 0044, Instrumentation in Astronomy II; (1974) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.953928
Event: Instrumentation in Astronomy, 1974, Tucson, United States

Abstract

A unique telescope was designed and built for the Go Aard Space Flight Center of NASA, by the Electro-Optical Division of Kollmorgen Corp. The telescope to be used as an laser ranger, is a servo driven 48" altazimuth telescope with the accuracy and precision of a theodolite. Among its salient features are the use of a gas bearing for azimuth rotation and the precision of its rotational axes. Axis wob ble and axis orthogonality are within one arc second. o achieve the frequency response consistent with a high accuracy servo loop, breakaway torque, from all sources, was limited to 20 ft. lbs about both axes. Final tests showed torque about the elevation axis to be 7 ft. lbs. About the azimuth axis, with a rotating mass of 30,000 lbs, the measured breakaway torque was 0.75 ft. lbs.

Citation Download Citation

Raymond F. Delgado "The NASA 48" Telescope", Proc. SPIE 0044, Instrumentation in Astronomy II, (1 September 1974); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.953928

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