| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 03-S3.04-7957 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 035050) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Large-Aperature Lightweight Cryogenic Telescope Mirrors |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Ultra-Lightweight Cryogenic Active Mirror Technology |
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)
Maureen Mulvihill
mmulvihill@xinetics.com
115 Jackson Road
Devens ,MA 01432 -4027
(978) 772 - 0352
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Xinetics is poised to support NASA in answering questions such as: When and how did the first stars form and what is the history of galaxy evolution and energy/element production in the universe? We will contribute by developing an Ultra-Lightweight Large Aperture Cryogenic Active Mirror (Ultra-CAM) technology that operates near 5 K. The Ultra-CAM design will provide an active, lightweight, stiff, large aperture mirror substrate to collect infrared (IR), far-IR and submillimeter (sub-mm) radiation from a space observatory. Since the Earth?s atmosphere absorbs this part of the electromagnetic spectrum, far-IR and sub-mm wavelengths must be studied in space and at cryogenic temperatures. These spectrums hold the key to answering these questions. To avoid radiation noise from the telescope, the telescope including the primary mirror must be maintained near 5 K. Xinetics? SiC and cryogenic actuator technologies have been performance tested and proven at cryogenic temperatures previously. Since NASA is planning missions such as the Single Aperture Far-IR telescope (SAFIR) that will require deployable large aperture optics that operate near 5 K, Xinetics intends to develop the Ultra-CAM mirror technology necessary to achieve NASA?s future mission goals for programs such as SAFIR.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Cryogenic actuators, large aperture active mirrors, large aperture nonactive mirrors, cryogenic active optics.
POTENTIAL NON-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. 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.