The Roman Space Telescope coronagraph technology demonstration: current status and relevance to future missions

B. Mennesson; V. P. Bailey; R. Zellem; N. Zimmerman; M. Ygouf; S. Hildebrandt; J. Rhodes; J. Kasdin; B. Macintosh; M. Turnbull; E. Douglas; A. Mandell; B. Nemati; G. Gonzalez; E. Cady; B. Kern; J. Krist; F. Shi; F. Mok; P. Morrissey; K. Heydorff; I. Pobereszhskiy; F. Zhao; T. Luchik; E. R. Maier; R. Akeson; L. Armus; J. Ingalls; P. Lowrance; T. Meshkat

doi:10.1117/12.2603343

1 September 2021 The Roman Space Telescope coronagraph technology demonstration: current status and relevance to future missions

B. Mennesson, V. P. Bailey, R. Zellem, N. Zimmerman, M. Ygouf, S. Hildebrandt, J. Rhodes, J. Kasdin, B. Macintosh, M. Turnbull, E. Douglas, A. Mandell, B. Nemati, G. Gonzalez, E. Cady, B. Kern, J. Krist, F. Shi, F. Mok, P. Morrissey, K. Heydorff, I. Pobereszhskiy, F. Zhao, T. Luchik, E. R. Maier, R. Akeson, L. Armus, J. Ingalls, P. Lowrance, T. Meshkat

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11823, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets X; 1182310 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2603343
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2021, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formally WFIRST) will be launched in the mid-2020’s with an onboard coronagraph instrument which will serve as a technology demonstrator for exoplanet direct imaging. The Roman Coronagraph will be capable of detecting and characterizing exoplanets and circumstellar disks in visible light at an unprecedented contrast level of ~10-8 or lower. Such a contrast level, which is several magnitudes better than state-of-the-art visible or near-infrared coronagraphs, raises entirely new challenges that will be overcome using a combination of hardware, calibration and data processing. In particular, the Roman Coronagraph will be the first space-based coronagraphic instrument with real-time active wavefront control through the use of large format deformable mirrors, and its EMCCD detector will enable faint signal detection in photon-counting mode. The Roman Coronagraph instrument passed its critical design review successfully in April 2021, and is now well on its path to demonstrate many core technologies at the levels required for future exo-Earth direct imaging missions.

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B. Mennesson, V. P. Bailey, R. Zellem, N. Zimmerman, M. Ygouf, S. Hildebrandt, J. Rhodes, J. Kasdin, B. Macintosh, M. Turnbull, E. Douglas, A. Mandell, B. Nemati, G. Gonzalez, E. Cady, B. Kern, J. Krist, F. Shi, F. Mok, P. Morrissey, K. Heydorff, I. Pobereszhskiy, F. Zhao, T. Luchik, E. R. Maier, R. Akeson, L. Armus, J. Ingalls, P. Lowrance, and T. Meshkat "The Roman Space Telescope coronagraph technology demonstration: current status and relevance to future missions", Proc. SPIE 11823, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets X, 1182310 (1 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2603343

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