High Broadband Reflectivity Mirror Coatings for the Next Generation ofSpace Observatories

This Development Phase proposal for the 2014 Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship in Astrophysics aims to develop new broadband enhanced lithium fluoride (eLiF) protected aluminum mirror coatings with > 85% reflectivity from the far ultraviolet to the near infrared. We describe the technical and scientific justification for this work, and lay out a four-year development effort plan to raise the Technology Readiness Level of these new coatings to TRL 6, thus qualifying them for future space missions. This RTF will also provide essential measurements of fluoride-protected aluminum coatings to determine their compatibility with high contrast imaging systems for the direct imaging of exoplanets. We present results acquired during the concept study phase that demonstrate a new record reflectivity at O VI in the Lyman UV, and a protected eLiF variant that initial testing indicates is not sensitive to moisture exposure. This proposal will satisfy a priority 1 technology goal of the Cosmic Origins program, and enable a wider bandpass for the next large UV-Optical-IR observatory. This effort fulfills the goals of the RTF program by giving an early career researcher the opportunity to develop a technology with the potential to enable major scientific breakthroughs, and thus develop the skills to become a PI of a future astrophysics mission.

This project has specific and immediate benefit to two out of the four large-mission concept studies in Astrophysics (LUVOIR and HabEX), and the coatings developed by this project are the current baseline coatings for LUVOIR. This also has immediate benefits to sub-orbital and Explorer-class missions, opening up multi-factor throughput performance potential in the under-studied far-UV bandpass. Planetary Science (e.g. the Europa UV-spectrograph) could see similar throughput and bandpass improvements.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — 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.

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.