CVC Silicon Carbide Optical Mounting Structure for Space Applications

Trex's chemical vapor composite (CVC) silicon carbide has great potential in space optical systems due to its high specific stiffness, thermal stability, polishability, and low internal stress. This program will develop a CVC SiC mirror mounting structure, which will enable an all CVC SiC telescope suitable for cryogenic space-borne missile defense systems. CVC SiC near net-shape components for the optical mount will be fabricated and analyzed to confirm material properties in these complex geometries match that of CVC SiC mirror substrates. This program will thus demonstrate the feasibility of using the CVC SiC process in making complex optical mounting structures.