The next generation of space telescope will use large primary mirrors to achieve high angular resolution. Due to weight constrain, these large mirrors will have a very low mass per unit area. This ultra-light-weighting leads to deformations of the primary mirror optical surface due to gravity load difference between ground and space. Active Optics systems then become essential to maintain the quality of the output wavefront. The supporting structures and surface quality specifications of the mirror must be optimized regarding the active optics capabilities. The case of a two meters lightweight primary mirror will be presented.

Date Published: 28 July 2014
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9151, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation, 915128 (28 July 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2055782

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9151:
Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation
Ramón Navarro; Colin R. Cunningham; Allison A. Barto, Editor(s)