OPTICAL COMPONENTS AND DESIGN TOOLS-CRYOGENIC TELESCOPES

THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON THE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF THE ADVANCED OPTICS TYPICALLY USED IN ORBITING SPECTROMETERS. RECENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS EFFICIENT FABRICATION OF ALL-METAL TELESCOPES AND CAMERAS. MICRO-MACHINING OF OPTICAL SURFACES AND PRECISION MOUNTING POINTS, LOW-STRESS PLATING, AND NEW DESIGN METHODS AND STABILIZATION PROCEDURESARE ALL FACTORS. AN ALL-METAL TELESCOPE OR CAMERA MAY OFFERFURTHER ADVANTAGES WHEN THE SYSTEM IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE ATREDUCED TEMPERATURES. IF SUCH A TELESCOPE ASSUMES A DIFFERENT THERMODYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM, IT MAY BE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN FOCUS AND OPTICAL PERFORMANCE. THE FIRM'S METAL OPTICS TECHNOLOGY (MICRO-MACHINING, PLATING, DESIGN METHODS,AND STABILIZATION PROCEDURES) WILL BE USED TO PRODUCE A TELESCOPE THAT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR SUBSEQUENT CRYOGENIC TESTING BY JPL. SUCH A TELESCOPE WOULD FEATURE ALUMINUM SUBSTRATE OPTICS AND ALUMINUM METRIC STRUTS. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON THE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF THE ADVANCED OPTICS TYPICALLY USED IN ORBITING SPECTROMETERS. RECENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS EFFICIENT FABRICATION OF ALL-METAL TELESCOPES AND CAMERAS. MICRO-MACHINING OF OPTICAL SURFACES AND PRECISION MOUNTING POINTS, LOW-STRESS PLATING, AND NEW DESIGN METHODS AND STABILIZATION PROCEDURESARE ALL FACTORS. AN ALL-METAL TELESCOPE OR CAMERA MAY OFFERFURTHER ADVANTAGES WHEN THE SYSTEM IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE ATREDUCED TEMPERATURES. IF SUCH A TELESCOPE ASSUMES A DIFFERENT THERMODYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM, IT MAY BE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN FOCUS AND OPTICAL PERFORMANCE. THE FIRM'S METAL OPTICS TECHNOLOGY (MICRO-MACHINING, PLATING, DESIGN METHODS,AND STABILIZATION PROCEDURES) WILL BE USED TO PRODUCE A TELESCOPE THAT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR SUBSEQUENT CRYOGENIC TESTING BY JPL. SUCH A TELESCOPE WOULD FEATURE ALUMINUM SUBSTRATE OPTICS AND ALUMINUM METRIC STRUTS.