Fast Picometer Mirror Mount, Phase I

The proposed innovation is a 6DOF controllable mirror mount with high dynamic range and fast tip/tilt capability for space based applications. It will enable the actuation of large (~1m) mirrors over centimeter stroke with low bandwidth to correct deployment errors, provide sub-micron correction of thermal distorsion with picometer precision, and enable nanometer/nanoradian tip/tilt wavefront correction up to tens of Hz. The actuator will be designed to decouple the mirror from support resonances so that the mirror control system can suppress the system dynamic response. The mount will be optimized from a systems perspective, including thermal effects, total mass including the amplifiers and induced mechanical noise.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.