ADVANCED LIGHTWEIGHT HYBRID MIRROR FOR SPACE BASED APPLICATIONS

The space surveillance community needs lightweight, large aperture optical systems that can be quickly adapted to new or changing requirements - agile response. Large aperture systems require large, very precise, very stable, ground testable opticalsurfaces. Current technologies provide these qualities only using massive glass mirrors that require years of expensive specialized manufacture. We propose to create a new paradigm for space optics by developing lightweight hybrid mirrors, which combinethe optical replication properties of nanolaminate metallic foils with the optical structure properties of low areal density CERACORE silicon carbide. If developed, we submit that the Advanced Lightweight Hybrid Mirror (ALHM) will remove size, weight,cost, and manufacturing limitations inherent with current technology.