Additively Manufactured, Ultra-Stable RoboSiC Proximity Imaging CubeSat Telescope

The purpose of sub-topic Z8.08 is to demonstrate the ability to manufacture, test and control ultra-low-cost, ultra-stable telescope systems for 12U CubeSats.nbsp; Goodman Technologies (GT) offers this proposal in partnership with the Hawaiian Nanotechnology Laboratory (HNL) and the Hawaiian Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, (UHM, a Minority Serving Institution).nbsp; Using an ultra-stable telescope that is integral to the 12U CubeSat structure will provide the requisite dimensionally stability for precision pointing of the CubeSat to perform proximity imaging of nearby spacecraft, the moon, or Mars. nbsp;We willnbsp;define with our NASA customer (ARC, GSFC, JPL) a reference proximity imaging mission which takes advantage of the 20:1 telephoto ratio of the ultra-stable RoboSiC telescope.nbsp; Key parameters to be determined for the mission and an assumed camera resolution (e.g., TBD megapixel camera) are: operating range (e.g., 1-100 km) and the resolving capability nbsp;as a function of object size and distance (e.g.,nbsp; 1-10 cm resolution at a distance of 1 km for an object that is 5-m in length). We will definenbsp;primary and secondary mirror radius of curvature, clear aperture, surface figure, surface roughness and optical coating requirements (e.g., enhanced/protected aluminum or a proprietary Goodman developed VIS/MWIR/LWIR radiation survivable coating with 10-year mission life), diffraction limited performance out to a full field of view (FOV) of TBD degrees, and acceptable performance out to TBD degrees.nbsp;Our RoboSiC technologies are ldquo;Mission Agnosticrdquo; and tunable to requirements.nbsp;GT recently demonstrated 3D printed and additively manufacturednbsp; silicon carbide mirror substrates (RoboSiC) at the 25-cm scalenbsp; for a balloon experiment (BE). This would fill anbsp;Critical Technology Gap (extreme dimensional stability) for future missions such as Origins Space Telescope (OST)nbsp;and Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyornbsp; (LUVOIR).