Affordable, Ultra-stable CVC SiC UVOIR Telescope for BENI Mission

Working with our System Integrator partner (ITT-Exelis) and Richard Lyon (NASA/GSFC Principal Investigator Compact Achromatic Visible Nulling Coronagraph Technology Maturation) and his telescope expert Lee Feinberg, Trex will perform a preliminary design of a 1-meter aperture, ultrastable, UVOIR telescope made using Trex Chemical Vapor Composite Silicon Carbide (CVC SiC™). The highly athermal silicon carbide telescope provides an affordable solution for the Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BENI) Mission to qualify the VNC, with traceability to the requirements of the ATLAST observatory. Trex also proposes to demonstrate replicated, powered CVC SiC™ substrates using a new, polishable graphite mandrel material which allows the release of our CVC SiC™ deposit from the mandrel with a spectral finish. The new process eliminates rough and fine grinding of the optical surface, which is directly ready for fine lapping and polishing. The payoff will be at least a factor of 2X reduction in the areal cost of high performance CVC SiC™ mirrors, with an associated reduction in schedule on the order of 6-months. Using meniscus mirror designs for lightweighted mirrors in the telescope, rather than a web-based isogrid design, will also reduce the cost and schedule for CVC SiC™ mirrors, while not sacrificing weight or stiffness.

Astro 2010 clearly states the need for large aperture, lightweight mirrors for future UV/Optical telescopes, and recommends NASA invest in this need during the next 5-years. Table S2-C2 of the 2012 National Research Council report entitled "NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities: Restoring NASA's Technological Edge and Paving the Way for a New Era in Space", calls for a new generation of astronomical telescopes that enable discovery of habitable planets, facilitate advances in solar physics, and enable the study of faint structures around bright objects by developing high-contrast imaging and spectroscopic technologies to provide unprecedented sensitivity, field of view, and spectroscopy of faint objects. The common need cited is a mirror technology that is lightweight, dimensionally stable, high performance, and above all else, cost effective. One of these potential future observatory missions is the Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) (Marc Postman et.al., SPIE Journal of Optical Engineering, 51(1), 011007, January 2012).

Low cost, lightweight, dimensionally stable SiC mirrors have use in complex telescopes for Astronomy, Imaging and Remote Sensing applications, including optical instruments/telescopes which enable imaging, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for police and paramilitary units, fire fighters, power and pipeline monitoring, search and rescue, atmospheric and ocean monitoring, imagery and mapping for resource management, and disaster relief and communications. The dual-use nature of complex telescopes will bring affordability to national defense missions as well.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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