Low-Cost, High-Performance Metal Matrix Composite for Advanced Optical Systems

Outpost Technologies, Materion, and the University of Alabama (UAH) Center for Applied Optics (CAO) propose a low-cost, stiff, and stable normal-incidence space mirror material that will decrease aerial costs below $500k/m2.nbsp; Beryllium and silicon carbide (SiC) mirrors are the gold standard in mirror substrate materials given their specific strength, thermal stability, and stiffness.nbsp; However, their capabilities come at great cost, especially manufacturing complexity and safety-related overhead expenses for a given telescope program.nbsp; There is a significant performance gap between beryllium and SiC materials and the lower-cost aluminum substrates.nbsp; This presents problems for telescope programs unable to afford beryllium systems:nbsp; though science and engineering seek highly capable optical systems, common and less expensive metals such as aluminum 6061 lack the material properties required to deliver required capabilities.nbsp; Subject matter experts at Outpost technologies and its partnering organizations, Materion and the UAH CAO, have noted that aluminumrsquo;s low specific strength/stiffness and high coefficient of thermal expansion have crippled past balloon-based telescope systems due to excessive mass and material limitations.nbsp; Materionrsquo;s SupremEX Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) combines the machinability and low cost of aluminum with the stiffness and thermal performance of silicon carbide, yielding a capable optical mirror substrate material for balloon-based platforms.