Extreme dimensional stability thermal control test

Thomas E. Brooks; H. Philip Stahl

doi:10.1117/12.2593969

20 August 2021 Extreme dimensional stability thermal control test

Thomas E. Brooks, H. Philip Stahl

Proceedings Volume 11819, UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts X; 118190B (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2593969
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2021, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Two observatories under consideration in the 2020 decadal survey include coronagraphs for characterizing the atmospheric composition of exoplanets. The telescope in those observatories must provide a wavefront that is stable to the picometer level for the coronagraph to provide enough starlight rejection to capture light reflected off of an Earth-like exoplanet. Therefore, picometer dimensional stability and control are required for these missions. Analysis indicates the thermal environment around the primary mirror must be stable to milliKelvin for the primary mirror’s thermally induced wavefront error to be stable to picometers. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) partnered with L3-Harris Corporation to design and build a 1.5m thermal control system capable of milliKelvin stability. MSFC tested this thermal control system in the X-Ray and Cryogenic Facility’s large chamber to characterize how well the system controlled a 1.5m ULE® mirror.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Thomas E. Brooks and H. Philip Stahl "Extreme dimensional stability thermal control test", Proc. SPIE 11819, UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts X, 118190B (20 August 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2593969

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