| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 05 S3.04-9501 |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Large-Aperture Lightweight Cryogenic Telescope Components & Systems |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Scaling Actively Cooled SLMS Mirrors to the Meter-Class for Cryogenic Telescopes (SPIRIT, TPF-1, SPECS) |
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) 338 - 2865
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Phase I and II projects will describe and implement a maturation plan for Schafer's SLMSTM technology, with the goal of producing large diameter, high-precision optics that are superior to traditional glass and beryllium mirrors. We will design and manufacture a spherical SLMSTM from 2 segments that have been bonded together. We will use a proprietary cryo-compatible joining process to bond the segments. We shall show traceability of the fabrication approach to a 0.5-meter diameter bonded optic to be produced in Phase II, and a 1.5-meter diameter optic that could be produced in Phase III. The 1.5-meter primary mirror would weigh <125 pounds, less than one-half the weight of the projected 250 pound weight for an advanced ULE mirror at nominally the same cost. SLMSTM have been passively cooled in vacuum with little figure change at GSFC (80 K)1 and MSFC (~25 K)2, and actively cooled (internally and externally) to 80 K in vacuum using LN2 at MSFC3. Cryogenic damping measurements of our silicon and silicon carbide foam materials conducted by JPL have shown that the modulus and damping performance are temperature insensitive4. Thus, SLMSTM offers the Government a credible optics road map for future Origins and Universe Mission telescopes.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Potential Applications for SLMSTM technology is Cryogenic and EUV/Visible Ambient Telescopes. Missions of interest are (for cryogenic) SAFIR, SPIRIT, SPECS, TPF interferometer and (for ambient) DMP, SCOPE, MTRAP, SUVO, NHST and TPF coronagraph.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential applications for SLMSTM and technology are the telescopes for Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Imaging missions, Space Based Lasers and Relay Systems for High-Energy Laser Systems, Telescopes for Remote Sensing, and Telescopes for Telecommunications.
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Cooling
Optical & Photonic Materials |