Development of lightweight mirror technology for the NGST program

David N. Jacobson; Patrick Bunton

doi:10.1117/12.369177

11 November 1999 Development of lightweight mirror technology for the NGST program

David N. Jacobson, Patrick Bunton

Proceedings Volume 3782, Optical Manufacturing and Testing III; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.369177
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

Recognizing the need to launch larger aperture telescopes to orbit with current launch capability, the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) program began in 1997, an aggressive technology development effort in lightweight optics. This effort has developed technologies in Silicon Carbide, Beryllium, silicon, glass and hybrid mirrors to name a few. The advancement of mirror technology to below the 15 kg/m² areal density is challenging enough without the added requirements for NGST that the mirror operate at approximately 35 Kelvin. This paper will discuss the various NGST technology developments including applications relative to bonding or joining mirror materials, subscale developments, the mirror system demonstrator program, the advanced mirror demonstrator program and development of the mirror test program. Specific attention will be given to technical issues related to lightweight mirror development and processing. Other issues to be addressed are the development of the roadmap to the NGST flight mirror development and to assess the technology readiness for NGST.

Citation Download Citation

David N. Jacobson and Patrick Bunton "Development of lightweight mirror technology for the NGST program", Proc. SPIE 3782, Optical Manufacturing and Testing III, (11 November 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.369177

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