Paper
27 August 1999 SiC telescope demonstrator (mirrors and structure): optomechanical performances
Pascal Antoine, Michel Fruit
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Matra Marconi Space (MMS) has designed, built, aligned and tested a 200-mm bi-telescope demonstrator, which both structure and mirrors have been manufactured with silicon carbide. Thanks to the unique properties of sintered silicon carbide developed by C and C, the measured performance of our demonstration show the great interest of such approach for space optics applications. This paper describes the main innovative points and performance which have been drawn up during demonstrator development: (i) a very few number of pieces, thanks to an innovative architecture and a very simple mirror attachment concept, made our concept cost effective; (ii) a high optical quality of primary mirror telescope; (iii) a huge optical stability over large environmental constraints, either after mechanical stress or thermal stress; (iv) design compatible with a serial production.
© (1999) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pascal Antoine and Michel Fruit "SiC telescope demonstrator (mirrors and structure): optomechanical performances", Proc. SPIE 3737, Design and Engineering of Optical Systems II, (27 August 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.360051
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KEYWORDS
Mirrors

Telescopes

Silicon carbide

Space telescopes

Mirror structures

Polishing

Thermography

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