This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7807, including the Title Page, Copyright Information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and the Conference Committee listing.

The Kepler spacecraft launched on March 7, 2009, initiating NASA's first search for Earth-size planets orbiting Sun-like stars. Since launch, Kepler has announced the discovery of 17 exoplanets, including a system of six transiting a Sun-like star, Kepler-11, and the first confirmed rocky planet, Kepler-10b, with a radius of 1.4 that of Earth. Kepler is proving to be a cornucopia of discoveries: it has identified over 1200 candidate planets based on the first 120 days of observations, including 54 that are in or near the habitable zone of their stars, and 68 that are 1.2 Earth radii or smaller. An astounding 408 of these planetary candidates are found in 170 multiple systems, demonstrating the compactness and flatness of planetary systems composed of small planets. Never before has there been a photometer capable of reaching a precision near 20 ppm in 6.5 hours and capable of conducting nearly continuous and uninterrupted observations for months to years. In addition to exoplanets, Kepler is providing a wealth of astrophysics, and is revolutionizing the field of asteroseismology. Designing and building the Kepler photometer and the software systems that process and analyze the resulting data to make the discoveries presented a daunting set of challenges, including how to manage the large data volume. The challenges continue into flight operations, as the photometer is sensitive to its thermal environment, complicating the task of detecting 84 ppm drops in brightness corresponding to Earth-size planets transiting Sun-like stars.

The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) is a lightweight (6.1 kg), low-power (4.5 W), ultraviolet spectrograph based on the Alice instruments now in flight aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft and NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. Its primary job on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is to identify and localize exposed water frost in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the Moon's poles, and to characterize landforms and albedos in PSRs. In this paper we describe the in-flight radiometric performance and commissioning results and compare them to ground calibration measurements.

We describe the radiometric performance and ground calibration results of the Juno mission's Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Juno-UVS) flight model. Juno-UVS is a modest power (9.0 W) ultraviolet spectrograph based on the Alice instruments now in flight aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, and the LAMP instrument aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Its primary job will be to characterize Jupiter's UV auroral emissions and relate them to in situ particle measurements.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large aperture, space telescope designed to provide imaging and spectroscopy over the near and mid-infrared from 1.0 μm to 28 μm. JWST is a passively cooled infrared telescope, employing a five layer sunshield to achieve an operating temperature of ~40 K. JWST will be launched to an orbit at L2 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher in 2013. The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is the lead center for the JWST program and manages the project for NASA. The prime contractor for JWST is Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGST). JWST is an international partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). ESA will contribute the Ariane 5 launch, and a multi-object infrared spectrograph. CSA will contribute the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), which includes the Tunable Filter Imager (TFI). A European consortium, in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), builds the mid-infrared imager (MIRI). In this paper we present an overview of the JWST science program, and discuss recent progress in the development of the observatory. In this paper we will discuss the scientific motivations for JWST, and discuss recent progress in the construction of the observatory, focusing on the telescope and its optics, which have recently completed polishing.

The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is discussed from a systems perspective with emphasis on development status and advanced technology aspects. The ISIM is one of three elements that comprise the JWST space vehicle and is the science instrument payload of the JWST. The major subsystems of this flight element and their build status are described.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an on axis three mirror anastigmat telescope with a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a tertiary mirror. The JWST mirrors are constructed from lightweight beryllium substrates and the primary mirror consists of 18 hexagonal mirror segments each approximately 1.5 meters point to point. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation leads the mirror manufacturing team and the team utilizes facilities at six locations across the United States. The fabrication process for each individual mirror assembly takes approximately six years due to limitations dealing with the number of segments and manufacturing & test facilities. The primary mirror Engineering Development Unit (EDU) recently completed the manufacturing process with the final cryogenic performance test of the mirror segment assembly. The 18 flight primary mirrors segments, the secondary mirror, and the tertiary mirror are all advanced in the mirror production process with many segments through the final polishing process, coating process, final assembly, vibration testing, and final acceptance testing. Presented here is a status of the progress through the manufacturing process for all of the flight mirrors.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) integration includes a center of curvature test on its 18 primary mirror segment assemblies (PMSAs). This important test is the only ground test that will demonstrate the ability to align all 18 PMSAs. Using a multi-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) integrated to the test bed telescope (TBT), a one-sixth scale model of the JWST, we verify our ability to align and phase the 18 PMSAs. In this paper we will discuss data analysis and test results when using the MWIF to align the segments of the TBT in preparation for alignment of the JWST.

The alignment between the Aft Optical Subsystem (AOS) and the Integrated Science Instruments Module (ISIM) is non-adjustable in orbit, so the alignment must be carefully verified in a cryogenic vacuum environment prior to launch. Optical point source locations calibrated by optical metrology instruments are imaged through the AOS onto the Science Instruments to determine focal, lateral, and clock angle alignment. The pupil image of the AOS is overlaid onto the pupil image of the NIRCam to determine the tip and tilt alignment. In addition, an image from fiducial lights at the Primary Mirror checks the pupil alignment between the telescope entrance pupil, the telescope pupil mask, and the NIRCam aperture stop. The image positions are combined to determine the relative alignment between the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and the ISIM in all six degrees of freedom with corresponding alignment uncertainties. Uncertainties in the position of focused images of the test sources and images from the pupils are derived from sensitivities of an optical model of the system and the Science Instrument sensing capability. Additional uncertainty in the pupil alignment measurement is due to uncertainty in the analytical removal of gravity effects that simulate the on-orbit alignment environment.

Three auto-collimating flats (ACFs) of 1.5 meter clear aperture are being manufactured for use in the JSC Cryo-Optical Metrology test of the James Webb Space Telescope. In-process interferometric testing of the ACFs is used to guide their surface-figure processing. The surface measurement is performed in a vacuum chamber at both room (+20 °C) and cryogenic (-240 °C) temperatures. With a 12-inch beam diameter FizCam interferometer, sub-aperture measurements are taken across the ACF diameter at multiple rotations. These measurements are stitched together to compute the surface figure. The figure change between room-temperature and cryogenic temperature is measured and used to enable cryo-figuring based on room-temperature measurements. The data analysis is calibrated to account for gravity sag on test-set optics and surface aberrations caused by vacuum pressure and temperature gradients on vacuum-chamber windows. The first ACF is complete and meets specification with surface error of less than 75 nm RMS.

In 2010, Sagem-REOSC delivered to Astrium GmbH the last model of the optics for Near Infra-Red Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument to be installed on-board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and constituting a key European contribution to this challenging project. We will report the various steps of polishing, coating, integration and cryo test of this rather unusual all-SiC optics for such a high performance space spectrographic instrument.

In July 2010, NASA's Office of Chief Technologist initiated a study to identify where substantial enhancements in mission capabilities are needed to enable and enhance future missions, and to provide strategic guidance for the agency's budget formulation and prioritization process. This paper summarizes the Science Instruments, Observatories and Sensor Systems technology assessment with an emphasis on the needs of NASA's Astrophysics Division.

Future Space Telescope missions need new technologies to meet their requirements for increasingly higher performance at an affordable cost. With the constrained budgets that are forecast for NASA and the DoD for the next several years, this decade is the time to develop the key technologies that will enable the orders of magnitude in performance that will be required by missions in the 2020's. Among these technologies are large, deployable space structures; low-cost, lightweight optics; more sensitive, large area detectors; and wave front sensing and control methods. In this paper we review the requirements for future missions, discuss the current state of the art, and outline a roadmap for future technology developments.

The European Space Agency (ESA) in the frame of its General Study Program (GSP) has started to investigate the opportunity of using metamaterials in space applications. In that context, ESA has initiated two GSP activities which main objectives are 1) to identify the metamaterials and associated optical properties which could be used to improve in the future the performances of optical payloads in space missions, 2) to design metamaterial based devices addressing specific needs in space applications. The range of functions for metamaterials to be investigated is wide (spectral dispersion, polarisation control, light absorption, straylight control...) and so is the required spectral range, from 0.4μm to 15μm. In the frame of these activities several applications have been selected and the designs of metamaterial based devices are proposed and their performances assessed by simulations.

Parametric cost models are used to plan missions, compare concepts and justify technology investments. This paper updates an ongoing effort to develop cost modes for space telescopes and summarizes how recent database changes have changed previously published preliminary results. While the models are evolving, the previously published findings are valid: telescope cost increases with aperture diameter; it costs less per square meter of collecting aperture to build a large telescope than a small telescope; lower areal density telescopes cost more than more massive telescopes.

Kepler is NASA's first space mission dedicated to the study of exoplanets. The primary scientific goal is statistical - to estimate the frequency of planetary systems associated with sun-like stars, especially the detection of earth-size planets in the Habitable Zones. Kepler was launched into an Earth-trailing heliocentric "drift-away" orbit (period = 372 days) in March 2009. The instrument detects the faint photometric signals of transits of planets across the stellar disks of those systems with orbital planes fortuitously oriented in our line-of-sight. Since the probability of such alignments is small Kepler must observe a large number of stars. In fact, Kepler is monitoring approximately 150,000 stars with a 30-minute cadence. These scientific requirements led to the choice of a classical Schmidt telescope, and requirements on field-of-view (FOV), throughput, spectral bandpass, image quality, scattered light, thermal and opto-mechanical stability and in-flight adjustment authority. We review the pre-launch integration, alignment and test program, and we describe the in-flight commissioning that optimized the optical performance of the observatory. The stability of the flight system has enabled increasing recognition of small effects and increasing sophistication in data processing algorithms. Astrophysical noise arising from intrinsic stellar variability is now the dominant term in the photometric error budget.

Kepler is NASA's first space mission dedicated to the study of exoplanets. The primary scientific goal is statistical - to estimate the frequency of planetary systems associated with sun-like stars. Kepler was launched into an Earth-trailing heliocentric "drift-away" orbit in March 2009, and is monitoring 150,000 stars. The instrument detects the faint photometric signals of transits of those systems whose orbital planes are oriented in our line-of-sight. An Earth-Sun analog will produce a transit depth of 80 parts per million (ppm), lasting for at most a few tens of hours, and repeating once per "year". The instrumentation was designed to provide photometric data with a precision of 20 parts per million in 6.5 hours for 12^th magnitude stars, resulting in a signal-to-noise ratio of 4 for an Earth-Sun transit. The stability of the flight system enables the precision of the data that reveal subtle instrumental and astrophysical effects that in turn allow a deeper understanding of the performance of the hardware, to enhanced operational procedures, and to novel post-processing of the data. The data are approaching the sensitivity needed to detect transits of terrestrial planets. Intrinsic stellar variability is now the most significant component of the photometric error budget.

Single-mode optical fibers are playing an increasing role in astronomical interferometry, e.g., in high-accuracy visibility measurements and in nulling interferometry. However, such observing modes typically involve only small numbers of fibers. On the other hand, some recently proposed observing techniques call for arrays of single mode fibers coupled to arrays of sub-apertures within a large telescope pupil. The concepts include pupil-masked visibility measurements (non-redundant masking), pupil-sheared nulling interferometry, and coronagraphic imaging using a fiber-linked phased-array of small optical telescopes. The latter arrangement may also be relevant to optical communications. Here we provide an overview of a number of recent novel applications of single-mode fibers and single-mode fiber arrays.

Arrays of single mode fibers can be used to form segmented pupils of almost arbitrary geometry. Such pupil arrays can be used both for interferometric imaging, for example by non-redundant aperture masking or in direct imaging systems such as the phased array coronagraph. Achieving control over the optical coupling, phase and dispersion for fiber arrays of reasonable size is a technological challenge. Progress has been made using a monolithic block of single mode fibers, lens arrays and masks, and mirror arrays. On one testbed, arrays of up to 37 beamlets are being combined to form a single image. On a second testbed, control of dispersion between fibers of slightly different length is being evaluated. The combination of the techniques being demonstrated has a range of potential uses in astronomy. In this paper we discuss the initial testbed results.

In many cases it is better to improve an adaptive optics system by replacing the camera rather than improving the Strehl delivered by the active components. The system should provide a data product that is more easily calibrated than the intensity versus angle data obtained from a normal camera. We argue this case, then provide a design for what should be done. The design is based on aperture masking but improves on its sensitivity and calibration. Such systems are starting to be build; the status and laboratory performance of one such system is presented.

The optical vortex coronagraph has great potential for enabling high-contrast observations very close to bright stars, and thus for reducing the size of space telescopes needed for exoplanet characterization missions. Here we discuss several recent developments in optical vortex coronagraphy. In particular, we describe multi-stage vortex configurations that allow the use of on-axis telescopes for high-contrast coronagraphy, and also enable the direct measurement of the amplitudes and phases of focal plane speckles. We also briefly describe recent laboratory demonstrations of the optical properties of the dual-stage vortex, and of the broadband performance of single stage vortex masks. Indeed, the demonstrated performance of the vector vortex phase masks already in hand, ≈ 10^-8, is approximately that needed for an initial coronagraphic mission, such as an exoplanet explorer, aimed at detecting exozodiacal light and jovian exoplanets.

An optical technique called "interferometric spectral reconstruction" (ISR) is capable of increasing a spectrograph's resolution and stability by large factors, well beyond its classical limits. We have demonstrated a 6- to 11-fold increase in the Triplespec effective spectral resolution (R=2,700) to achieve R=16,000 at 4100 cm^-1to 30,000 at 9600 cm^-1 by applying special Fourier processing to a series of exposures with different delays (optical path differences) taken with the TEDI interferometer and the near-infrared Triplespec spectrograph at the Mt. Palomar Observatory 200 inch telescope. The TEDI is an externally dispersed interferometer (EDI) used for Doppler radial velocity measurements on M-stars, and now also used for ISR. The resolution improvement is observed in both stellar and telluric features simultaneously over the entire spectrograph bandwidth (0.9-2.45 μm). By expanding the delay series, we anticipate achieving resolutions of R=45,000 or more. Since the delay is not continuously scanned, the technique is advantageous for measuring time-variable phenomena or in varying conditions (e.g. planetary fly-bys). The photon limited signal to noise ratio can be 100 times better than a classic Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) due to the benefit of dispersion.

The search for extrasolar habitable planets is one of three major astrophysics priorities identified for the next decade. These missions demand very high performance visible-wavelength optical imaging systems. Such high performance space telescopes are typically extremely expensive and can be difficult for government agencies to afford in today's economic climate, and most lower cost systems offer little benefit because they fall short on at least one of the following three key performance parameters: imaging wavelength, total system-level wavefront error and aperture diameter. Northrop Grumman Xinetics has developed a simple, lightweight, low-cost telescope design that will address the near-term science objectives of this astrophysics theme with the required optical performance, while reducing the telescope cost by an order of magnitude. Breakthroughs in SiC mirror manufacturing, integrated wavefront sensing, and high TRL deformable mirror technology have finally been combined within the same organization to offer a complete end-to-end telescope system in the lower end of the Class D cost range. This paper presents the latest results of real OAP polishing and metrology data, an optimized optical design, and finite element derived WFE

Large aperture space telescopes are built with low F#'s to accommodate the mechanical constraints of launch vehicles and to reduce resonance frequencies of the on-orbit system. Inherent with these low F# is Fresnel polarization which effects image quality. We present the design and modeling of a nano-structure consisting of birefringent layers. Analysis shows a device that functions across a 400nm bandwidth tunable from 300nm to 1200nm. This Fresnel compensator device has a cross leakage of less than 0.001 retardance.

ZERODUR® strength data and information are required for the design of structures, which will be subject to mechanical loads throughout their lifetime or at least during some periods thereof such as lightweight mirrors for space telescopes. Comparison of data acquired twenty years ago with recent ones show astonishing reproducibility. An influence of the specimen preparation process on the width of the breakage stress distribution generally leading to higher values has been observed. New data are available for diamond grain D25 fine ground surface condition. The stress corrosion coefficient, an important parameter needed to calculate the long time behavior of structures subject to tensile stress in their surface has been determined from breakage data sets obtained with different stress load increase rates. Conditioning of ZERODUR® specimen with stress free storage under varying humidity and humidity exposure times has shown no influence on strength.

This paper, first, presents introductory reviews of the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) mission and the SPICA Coronagraph Instrument (SCI). SPICA will realize a 3m class telescope cooled to 6K in orbit. The launch of SPICA is planned to take place in FY2018. The SPICA mission provides us with a unique opportunity to make high dynamic-range observations because of its large telescope aperture, high stability, and the capability for making infrared observations from deep space. The SCI is a high dynamic-range instrument proposed for SPICA. The primary objectives for the SCI are the direct coronagraphic detection and spectroscopy of Jovian exoplanets in the infrared region, while the monitoring of transiting planets is another important target owing to the non-coronagraphic mode of the SCI. Then, recent technical progress and ideas in conceptual studies are presented, which can potentially enhance the performance of the instrument: the designs of an integral 1-dimensional binary-shaped pupil mask coronagraph with general darkness constraints, a concentric ring mask considering the obscured pupil for surveying a wide field, and a spectral disperser for simultaneous wide wavelength coverage, and the first results of tests of the toughness of MEMS deformable mirrors for the rocket launch are introduced, together with a description of a passive wavefront correction mirror using no actuator.

The European ESA EUCLID dark energy, dark matter mission is presented with respect to the near instrument optics. We present the nominal optics approach as well as the tolerancing concept and the results of this tolerancing. through this we are able to show that the merged near infrared spectrometer and photometer NISP can be built with high image quality in a sophisticated but well performing approach. Furthermore a ghost analysis for NISP is presented, showing that reflective ghost have been successfully suppressed during the optimization process.

CubeSats are a class of nanosatellites that conform to a standardized 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm, 1 kg form factor. This miniaturization, along with a standardized deployment device for launch vehicles, allows CubeSats to be launched at low cost by sharing the trip to orbit with other spacecraft. Part of the original motivation for the CubeSat platform was also to allow university students to participate more easily in space technology development and to gain hands-on experience with flight hardware. The Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics along with the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Studies (EAPS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently completed a three semester-long course that uses the development of a CubeSat-based science mission as its core teaching method. Serving as the capstone academic experience for undergraduates, the goal of this class is to design and build a CubeSat spacecraft that serves a relevant science function, such as the detection of exoplanets transiting nearby stars. This project-based approach gives students essential first hand insights into the challenges of balancing science requirements and engineering design. Students are organized into subsystem-specific teams that refine and negotiate requirements, explore the design trade space, perform modeling and simulation, manage interfaces, test subsystems, and finally integrate prototypes and flight hardware. In this work we outline the heritage of capstone design/build classes at MIT, describe the class format in greater detail, and give results on the ability to meet learning objectives using this pedagogical approach.

The Primordial Inflation Explorer is an Explorer-class mission to measure the gravity-wave signature of primordial inflation through its distinctive imprint on the linear polarization of the cosmic microwave background. PIXIE uses an innovative optical design to achieve background-limited sensitivity in 400 spectral channels spanning 2.5 decades in frequency from 30 GHz to 6 THz (1 cm to 50 μm wavelength). Multi-moded non-imaging optics feed a polarizing Fourier Transform Spectrometer to produce a set of interference fringes, proportional to the difference spectrum between orthogonal linear polarizations from the two input beams. The differential design and multiple signal modulations spanning 11 orders of magnitude in time combine to reduce the instrumental signature and confusion from unpolarized sources to negligible levels. PIXIE will map the full sky in Stokes I, Q, and U parameters with angular resolution 2.°6 and sensitivity 0.2 μK per 1° square pixel. The principal science goal is the detection and characterization of linear polarization from an inflationary epoch in the early universe, with tensor-to-scalar ratio r < 10^-3 at 5 standard deviations. We describe the PIXIE instrument and mission architecture needed to detect the signature of an inflationary epoch in the early universe using only 4 semiconductor bolometers.

The Open University, in collaboration with e2v technologies and XCAM Ltd, have been selected to fly an EO (Earth Observation) technology demonstrator and in-orbit radiation damage characterisation instrument on board the UK Space Agency's UKube-1 pilot Cubesat programme. Cubesat payloads offer a unique opportunity to rapidly build and fly space hardware for minimal cost, providing easy access to the space environment. Based around the e2v 1.3 MPixel 0.18 micron process eye-on-Si CMOS devices, the instrument consists of a radiation characterisation imager as well as a narrow field imager (NFI) and a wide field imager (WFI). The narrow and wide field imagers are expected to achieve resolutions of 25 m and 350 m respectively from a 650 km orbit, providing sufficient swathe width to view the southern UK with the WFI and London with the NFI. The radiation characterisation experiment has been designed to verify and reinforce ground based testing that has been conducted on the e2v eye-on-Si family of devices and includes TEC temperature control circuitry as well as RADFET in-orbit dosimetry. Of particular interest are SEU and SEL effects. The novel instrument design allows for a wide range of capabilities within highly constrained mass, power and space budgets providing a model for future use on similarly constrained missions, such as planetary rovers. Scheduled for launch in December 2011, this 1 year low cost programme should not only provide valuable data and outreach opportunities but also help to prove flight heritage for future missions.

The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO) is a medium class mission candidate within the science program Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 of the European Space Agency. It was selected in February 2011 as one of 4 M3 mission candidates to enter an assessment phase. The assessment activities start with the definition of science and mission requirements as well as of a preliminary model payload, followed by an internal Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) study. Parallel industrial studies will follow in 2012, after which the 4 missions will be reviewed to identify candidates entering definition phase studies in 2013. EChO aims at characterising the atmosphere of known transiting exoplanets, potentially from giant Hot Jupiters down to Super-Earths orbiting in the habitable zone of M-dwarf stars. It will use a 1 m class telescope, feeding a spectrometer covering the wave lengths from 0.4 to 11 microns with a potential extension to 16 microns. While spatial differentiation of the exoplanet and its host star is not necessary, spectral differentiation will be achieved by making differential measurements of in- and out- of transit frames to cancel the star signal. This paper describes critical requirements, and gives an overview of the model payload design. It also reports on the results of the CDF.

The discrepancy in annual changes of Earth albedo anomaly among the Had3CM prediction, ground and low Earth orbit measurements attracts great academic attention world-wide. As a part of our on-going study for better understanding of such discrepancy, we report a new earthshine measurement simulation technique. It combines the light source (the Sun), targets (the Earth and the Moon) and a hypothetical detector in a real scale Integrated Monte-Carlo Ray Tracing (IRT) computation environment. The Sun is expressed as a Lambertian scattering sphere, emitting 1.626x10²⁶W over 400nm- 750nm in wavelength range. Whilst we are in the process of developing a complex Earth model consisting of land, sea and atmosphere with appropriate BRDF models, a simplified Lambertian Earth surface with 0.3 in uniform albedo was used in this study. For the moon surface, Hapke's BRDF model is used with double Henry-Green phase function. These elements were then imported into the IRT computation of radiative transfer between their surfaces. First, the irradiance levels of earthshine and moonshine lights were computed and then confirmed that they agree well with the measurement data from Big Bear Solar Observatory. They were subsequently used in determination of the Earth bond albedo of about 0.3 that is almost identical to the input Earth albedo of 0.3. These computations prove that, for the first time, the real scale IRT model was successfully deployed for the Earthshine measurement simulation and, therefore, it can be applicable for other ground and space based measurement simulation of reflected lights from the Earth and the Moon.

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission concept was ranked first in new space astrophysics mission by the Astro2010 Decadal Survey incorporating the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM)-Omega payload concept and multiple science white papers. This mission is based on a space telescope at L2 studying exoplanets (via gravitational microlensing), probing dark energy, and surveying the near infrared sky. Since the release of NWNH, the WFIRST project has been working with the WFIRST science definition team (SDT) to refine mission and payload concepts. We present the driving requirements. The current interim reference mission point design, based on the use of a 1.3m unobscured aperture three mirror anastigmat form, with focal imaging and slitless spectroscopy science channels, is consistent with the requirements, requires no technology development, and out performs the JDEM-Omega design.

PICARD is a satellite dedicated to the simultaneous measurement of the solar diameter, the solar shape, the solar irradiance and the solar interior. These measurements obtained throughout the mission will allow study of their variations as a function of solar activity. The objectives of the PICARD mission are to improve our knowledge of the functioning of our star through new observations and the influence of the solar activity on the climate of the Earth. PICARD was launched on June 15, 2010 on a Dnepr-1 launcher. SODISM (SOlar Diameter Imager and Surface Mapper), an instrument of the PICARD payload, is a high resolution imaging telescope. It was built on an innovative technological concept. SODISM allows us to measure the solar diameter and shape with an accuracy of a few milliarcseconds, and to perform helioseismologic observations to probe the solar interior. SODISM provides continuous observations of the Sun since mid-July 2010. A brief comparison of measurements of solar diameter since the seventeenth century and solar diameter variability are described. In this article, we present the instrumental concept and design and we give an overview of the thermal stability of the telescope. First results from the SODISM experiment are briefly reported (housekeeping and image).

A scheme for using as-produced surface irregularity data from asphere production for numerical statistical tolerance analysis is presented with this paper. Interferometric precision measurements are being modeled in Zernike space and then used for monte carlo tolerancing analysis. We show that low Zernike frequencies dominate the image distortion behavior of the irregularities found in the specific asphere production process. Very good agreement between model representation and measured data effect is found.

We present two designs of a filter mounting structure for the Near-Infrared Imaging Photometer (NIP) planned for the Euclid dark energy space mission. The three large near-infrared filters - with a 127 mm diameter, 12 mm thickness and a 330 g mass per element - are challenging to mount. We present the design considerations, finite element analysis and results from the first prototyping campaign of these structures. The rationale behind the down-selection between the two designs is detailed and we conclude with recommendations on future developments of mounts of this type. The results presented here are based on work performed during the Euclid Assessment Study.

The proposedWhipple mission is intended to detect Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) via the "blind" occultation technique. The size, number and spatial distribution of these objects provides critical input to evolutionary models of our solar system. The Whipple project was proposed as a NASA Discovery class mission in 2010 and though not selected, it was funded to continue technology development. As part of the proposal preparation, a functional segment of the focal plane was instrumented in the laboratory. The purpose of this test segment was to verify basic detector parameters such as read noise and to detect simulated occultation events. We describe the operation of the detector and a simulator to test and verify the candidate focal plane for the proposed Whipple mission. This paper describes the design, construction and operation of the Whipple event simulator and operation of the laboratory detector.

PICARD is a Satellite dedicated to the simultaneous measurement of the absolute total and spectral solar irradiance, the diameter and solar shape and the Sun's interior probed by helioseismology method. Its objectives are the study of the origin of the solar variability and the study of the relations between the Sun and the Earth's climate. PICARD was launched on June 15, 2010. The Satellite was placed into the heliosynchronous orbit of 735 km with inclination of 98.28 degrees. The payload consists in two absolute radiometers measuring the TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) and an imaging telescope to determine the solar diameter, the limb shape and asphericity. SOVAP (SOlar VAriability Picard) is an experiment developed by the Belgian STCE (Solar Terrestrial Center of Excellence) with a contribution of the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) composed of an absolute radiometer provided by the RMIB (Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium) to measure the TSI and a bolometer provided by the ROB (Royal Observatory of Belgium). The continuous observation of the solar irradiance at the highest possible precision and accuracy is an important objective of the Earth climate change. This requires: high quality metrology in the space environment. In this article, we describe the SOVAP instrument, its performances and uncertainties on the measurements of the TSI.

A dual dispersion telescope with a plane grating primary objective was previously disclosed that can overcome intrinsic chromatic aberration of dispersive optics while allowing for unprecedented features such as million object spectroscopy, extraordinary étendue, flat primary objective with a relaxed figure tolerance, gossamer membrane substrate stowable as an unsegmented roll inside a delivery vehicle, and extensibility past 100 meter aperture at optical wavelengths. The novel design meets many criteria for space deployment. Other embodiments are suitable for airborne platforms as well as terrestrial and lunar sites. One problem with this novel telescope is that the grazing exodus configuration necessary to achieve a large aperture is traded for throughput efficiency. Now we show how the hologram of a point source used in place of the primary objective plane grating can improve efficiency by lowering the diffraction angle below grazing exodus. An intermediate refractive element is used to compensate for wavelength dependent focal lengths of the holographic primary objective.

We report on progress toward development of a second-generation tunable spatial heterodyne spectrometer (TSHS) at the fixed focus of the Coudé Auxiliary Telescope (CAT) in the Shane observatory at Lick Observatory (Khayyam). SHS instruments are a class of interferometric sensor capable of providing a combination of large étendue, high resolving power (R=λ/dλ~ 10⁵) and wide field of view (FOV~0.5 degree) at Optical and NUV wavelengths in a compact format. The TSHS implementation addresses the bandpass limitation of the basic SHS through controlled rotation of pilot mirrors in the interferometer. The use of a single grating as both a dispersing and beam-splitting element in the all-reflective SHS greatly relaxes the precision required in the alignment of the other optical elements relative to a more typical scanning Fourier Transform Spectrometer and allows the TSHS implementation to be accomplished with low-cost commercial rotation stages. The new design builds on a previous design originally tested in 2007, and will address several issues identified with the input beam, output imaging, and grating efficiency (Dawson and Harris, 2009). Here we will discuss the design considerations going into this new system and the initial results of the installation and testing of the TSHS and the future plans.