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14 June 2006Architecture concept for a 10m UV-optical space telescope
The scientific achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope have motivated interest in a larger and more powerful
successor that can operate at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. NASA recently supported a Visions Mission study
called the Modern Universe Space Telescope. The scientific goals require the angular resolution expected from a 10m
aperture in visible light and the sensitivity provided by 50m2 of collecting area. The approach developed by the MUST
study team uses a segmented primary mirror that can be assembled in space. Assembly offers advantages over
deployment with regard to mass and volume efficient stowage in the launch vehicle fairing, and simplicity of the
mechanical and structural design. If the system is designed thoughtfully from the beginning, then robotic techniques
such as those investigated for HST servicing might be used to great advantage. Alternatively, if the space operations
infrastructure included in the Vision for Space Exploration is developed, then either astronaut EVA or telerobotic
assembly techniques could be employed. In either case, in-space assembly enables a telescope that is substantially larger
than the diameter of the launch vehicle.
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Dennis Ebbets, James DeCino, James Green, "Architecture concept for a 10m UV-optical space telescope," Proc. SPIE 6265, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation I: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter, 62651S (14 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.670466