Paper 13094-80
Paper 13094-80
Development of the GMT Telescope metrology system
21 June 2024 • 09:50 - 10:10 Japan Standard Time | Room G403/404, North - 4F
Abstract
The Giant Magellan Telescope is a 25.4-m visible/infrared telescope being built as one of the next-generation Extremely Large Telescopes. The size of the GMT and its doubly segmented design creates a unique set of challenges for telescope alignment, including initial alignment during the assembly, integration, verification and commissioning phase and operational alignment between and during the telescope exposures. GMT is developing a Telescope Metrology System (TMS) that uses networks of laser trackers and absolute and differential distance-measuring interferometers for improved alignment efficiency and phasing of the mirror segments. The TMS has successfully passed its Preliminary Design Review and entered the Final Design phase. The current design of the TMS is presented and the expected performance is discussed.
Presenter
GMTO Corp. (United States)
Richard Demers is the manager of the Wavefront Sensing and Control Group at GMTO Corporation. He has over 30 years of experience in the aerospace and tech industries specializing in lasers, coherent sensing and optical engineering. He was a program manager at GM Cruise in the development of coherent LIDAR. He contributed to NASA missions such as the Roman Space Telescope as Assistant Instrument Manager of the Coronagraph Instrument. Previously he worked as Principal Engineer and Adaptive Optics Coordinator for the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory in collaboration with the Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.