Optical Telescope Pointing Milli-Arcsecond Control System

The key innovations in OTP MACS are: Integrated data-driven control algorithms for improving performance and disturbance rejection Low Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) - new configuration with Koester prism sensor and nanometer actuators: 1 milli-arcsecond (5 nanoradian) angle sensor. Modified arrangement of Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor provides much higher resolution. Nanometer precision ultra-high-vacuum compatible piezo-electric-transducer (PZT) actuators with nanometer resolution position encoder. Moving guide star testbed for large telescope image stabilization. Use sensor fusion with combined fast-steering-mirror and PZT actuators with hierarchical control loop algorithms for image stabilization The OTP MACS innovations described above addresses several critical gaps defined in the subtopic description: OTP MACS uses highly integrated, low-power, low-weight, radiation-hard component sensor technologies, and multifunctional components. OTP MACS uses sensor fusion with robust sensing and control algorithms. The main sources of spacecraft disturbances are mechanical vibrations, sensor, and actuator noises, as well as slew residuals. The most critical disturbance is the jitter. A key idea is to use integrated data-driven feedback control algorithms to reject the repetitive and periodic disturbances. We will use two modeling approaches. The first approach is based on the first principles modeling paradigm and COMSOL Multiphysics software. The second approach is based on data-driven modeling paradigm and system identification techniques. The performance of the used techniques will be tested on the experimental setup. In the laboratory experiment, representative disturbance spectra and stochastic models on a computer will be transferred to a moving guide star simulator. The control algorithm fuses the information from two sensors to two actuators to provide milli-arcsecond image stabilization.

Our RDI proposed OTP MACS innovations will enable large telescope image stabilization (e.g., LUVOIR) and other high-precision optical instrument platforms (e.g., LISA and GRACE-2). High-precision pointing control is also important for long-distance optical communication systems. The data-driven, feed-forward, and stochastic control algorithms can be applied to a class of spacecraft control problems. Similarly, the low-cost Koester prism sensor and nano-precision actuators can be used for low-cost fine guidance of small spacecraft.

Our RDI proposed OTP MACS innovations will enable similar platform stabilization for commercial satellites. Precision fused sensors and the associated control algorithms are important for robotic assembly, autonomous driving, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile munitions, and many other applications. These innovations benefit all industries that rely on precision metrology for absolute measurements.

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