IGF::OT::IGF OPTICAL PHYSICS COMPANY (OPC) PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A HIGH ACCURACY VERSION OF ITS INTERFEROMETR…

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IGF::OT::IGF OPTICAL PHYSICS COMPANY (OPC) PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A HIGH ACCURACY VERSION OF ITS INTERFEROMETRIC STAR TRACKER CAPABLE OF MEETING THE MILLI-ARCSECOND-LEVEL POINTING REQUIREMENTS. SUCH HIGH ACCURACY TRACKER CAN BE USED FOR PRECISION POINTING OF THE LARGE TELESCOPE, AND CAN PERMIT OPEN-LOOP POINTING OF NARROWBEAM LASER SIGNALS. THE LATTER CAN ENABLE DEEP-SPACE LASERCOM MISSIONS WITHOUT THE TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY OF A GROUND BASED BEACON. OPC HAS ALREADY BUILT MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF THIS STAR TRACKER FOR SEVERAL APPLICATIONS FOR VARIOUS DOD CUSTOMERS. CURRENT TECHNICAL MATURITY OF THE STAR TRACKER IS TRL 5- WHICH IS EXPECTED TO ADVANCE TO TRL 6 DURING THE PROPOSED PHASE I PROJECT DUE TO SPACE READINESS AND FLIGHT TESTS UNDER PARALLEL EFFORTS. DURING THE PROPOSED PHASE I EFFORT, OPC WILL FIRST DEVELOP REQUIREMENTS. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DESIGN TRADES AND FORMULATION OF A DETAILED DESIGN. PHASE I WILL CONCLUDE WITH A PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW (PDR). DURING PHASE II, THE DESIGN WILL BE ADVANCED TO THE CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW (CDR) LEVEL AND A PROTOTYPE WILL BE BUILT AND TESTED. GIVEN THAT THE EXISTING BASELINE DESIGNS FOR OPC'S VISIBLE AND SWIR BAND INTERFEROMETRIC STAR TRACKERS ARE AT TRL 5, OPC HAS A HEAD START.