New Worlds Observer (NWO) is a formation flying mission that combines a starshade with a telescope to study Earthlike exoplanets around neighboring stars. The general architecture consists of a telescope and detector that share one spacecraft platform pointed toward a nearby solar system. Planets in the solar system are revealed by blocking the bright star with a starshade, on its own spacecraft, positioned between the telescope and its target. Questions arise regarding the type of precision, tolerances, and diffraction control required when considering the practicality of such an endeavor. We address the generalities here by presenting an overview of requirements necessary for this type of system. Basic tolerances are described at both the mission and starshade level.

Date Published: 20 September 2007
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 6687, UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes: Innovative Technologies and Concepts III, 66871A (20 September 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.734850

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6687:
UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes: Innovative Technologies and Concepts III
Howard A. MacEwen; James B. Breckinridge, Editor(s)