| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 03-S2.05-7899 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 035108) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Optical Technologies |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Highly Adaptive Primary Mirror Having Embedded Actuators, Sensors, and Neural Control |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Xinetics Inc
115 Jackson Road
Devens ,MA 01432 - 4027
(978) 772 - 0352
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Dave Pearson
dpearson@xinetics.com
115 Jackson Rd
Devens ,MA 01432 -4027
(978) 772 - 0352
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The NASA Space Science Enterprise is studying various future missions to explore the Evolution of the Universe (SEU). For example, normal incidence telescopes with a primary optic of 40 m are being studied for deployment beyond geo-synchronous orbits (e.g. L2) and requiring operation to 4K. These missions will require optics of unprecedented optical tolerances to achieve scientific success and extremely low weight in order to be deployed. The optics will most certainly be adaptive in order to obtain initial optical figure and eliminate aberrations due to thermal or other environmentally induced drift. New actuation and control technology will be required to obtain areal densities well below that of 15kg/m2 currently being considered for the Webb Telescope. Light weight CERAFORM silicon carbide based optics with embedded actuation and sensing is the approach taken in this proposal for making a large primary segmented mirror. In addition, by using local mirror sensing and neural control technology, the computational complexity associated with an extremely high actuation count in a large optic system can be greatly reduced. These two technologies currently being developed with Xinetics will be integrated to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to meet NASA goals.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to benefiting the NASA astronomical community and its partners, this technology is applicable to the other space communities, such as the surveillance community.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The space surveillance community needs ultra-lightweight, stiff large aperture optical systems such as described in this proposal since they will provide low scatter, diffraction limited imaging in a space environment. These telescopes would enable lower manufacturing cost and would be deployable. They are scaleable to reach the 10 meter diameter primary mirror goals for these communities.