Fast Steering Mirror Technologies for Active Exo-Atmospheric Seekers

Developing architectures for EKV active seekers call for a number beam steering devices to perform a variety of functions and to be constrained within tight packaging constraints of the EKV vehicle. SSG proposes the incremental development of its FastSteering Mirror (FSM) technologies to address these beam steering needs and to meet the anticipated requirements of several kHz BW and <10 millisecond settling times over a 2 degree FOR with a 20-30mm aperture while mitigating the challenging EKVenvironment. The current state of SSG¿¿s FSM technologies can nearly achieve these requirements. SSG recently developed a FSM for a Lasercomm application with 3.7 cm aperture capable of ,b0.57,a FOR, <1 microradian pointing repeatability and 2kHz BW.Further work in the key technologies of SSG¿¿s Optical Position Sensor (OPS) and Voice Coil Motors (VCM) to meet EKV active seekers is outlined in this proposal. SSG is working with Raytheon and Boeing SVS, the primary systems integrator and the activechannel systems integrator for the Advanced Discriminating LADAR Technology (ADLT) program. The work described in this proposal complements SSG¿¿s FSM technology development goals and fits well with the anticipated ADLT requirements. Advances in FastSteering Mirror (FSM) technologies are necessary for meeting the developing architectures of active seeker sensors in EKVs. Programs such as the Advanced Discriminating LADAR Technology (ADLT) program call for at least one and perhaps multiple FSM unitsof different aperture sizes and capabilities for each system. Other space-based missions have a need for similar beam steering capabilities. These include the large commercial potential of space Lasercomm where there are estimates of hundreds tothousands of network nodes. Other airborne and space based beam steering applications include fine tracking mechanisms in remote sensing and targeting systems as well as high energy laser delivery systems for NASA and DoD. However, as the technologymatures and becomes less costly, these capabilities will also improve the performance of commercial ground based free-space optical communication systems. As an added opportunity to these commercial potentials, SSG anticipates that wave-front correctionwill be an added requirement for these applications and is developing a combined Deformable Mirror and Fast Steering Mirror (DFSM).