| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 03-S3.04-9491 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 033514) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Large-Aperature Lightweight Cryogenic Telescope Mirrors |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Actively Cooled Silicon Lightweight Mirrors for Far Infrared and Submillimeter Optical Systems |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Schafer Corporation
321 Billerica Road
Chelmsford ,MA 01824 - 4191
(978) 256 - 2070
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
William A. Goodman
wgoodman@schaferalb.com
2309 Renard Place SE, Suite 300
Albuquerque ,NM 01824 -4191
(505) 242 - 9992
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Schafer proposes to demonstrate 2 different methods for actively cooling our 5-7.5 kg/m2 areal density Silicon Lightweight Mirrors (SLMS?) technology for future NASA far infrared and sub-millimeter missions. In Phase I, direct internal cooling will be demonstrated by directly flowing liquid nitrogen through the continuous open cell core of the SLMS?. Indirect external cooling will be demonstrated by flowing liquid nitrogen through a CTE matched C/SiC manifold that is bonded about the circumference of the SLMS?. During Phase II we plan to exercise our Space Act Agreement to helium test the SLMS? at NASA MSFC XRCF. Previously, under Contract No. NAS8-01174 entitled, "Silicon Lightweight Mirrors (SLMs) for Ultraviolet and Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Mirrors" performed for Drs. Andrew Keys and Phil Stahl, Schafer produced a SLMS? UV Demonstrator Mirror (UVDM) with 9.8 kg/m2 areal density, 0.021 waves rms HeNe figure accuracy, and 4 ? rms surface roughness. The SLMS? UVDM was cryo-tested from 300 K to 27 K at NASA MSFC in the 4-foot XRCF chamber on 2 separate occasions, once uncoated and once with a multiple-layer dielectric coating. We demonstrated extreme dimensional stability with a relative deformation < /60 rms HeNe for the 275 K temperature excursion.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of technology for 10-25 meter diameter optics for the 20-800 m bandwidth, with an areal density < 5 kg/m2, and a surface figure specification of /14 at 20 m is required. There is a premium for resolving wavelengths >100 m for mirror temperatures lower than 10 K. Future missions requiring such technology include the Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Observatory (CMB-Pol) which will have an aperture >5-meter, the Single Aperture Far Infrared (SAFIR) Observatory which will have an aperture >10-meter for wavelengths in the infrared and sub-millimeter, and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS) will have a gigantic sub-millimeter interferometer.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Imaging, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) communities require large actively cooled mirrors,. Actively cooled SLMS? would provide a benefit for ISR missions.