Paper 13100-130
Specifications and tolerancing for ARIEL’s aluminium primary mirror with mid-spatial-frequency errors
Abstract
ARIEL is ESA’s fourth medium-class mission in the Cosmic Vision program, is scheduled for launch in 2029. The telescope aims to conduct an expansive, unbiased spectroscopic survey, unraveling the complexities of exoplanet atmospheres and interiors to better comprehend the key factors influencing planetary system formation and evolution. The baseline payload features an off-axis Cassegrain telescope (M1-M2), a collimating off-axis parabola (M3), and a plane folding mirror (M4) channeling the collimated beam into two instrument modules. ARIEL’s capabilities span primary and secondary transit spectroscopy (1.10 to 7.80μm), broad-band photometry in the Optical (0.50 − 0.80μm) and Near IR (0.80 − 1.10μm) ranges, and a Fine Guidance System. This work will focus on M1, an aluminum mirror with an unobscured elliptical shape of size 1100 x 730mm. The Surface Error budget for M1 covers low and mid spatial frequencies. The work describes the manufacturing process of the mirror, the method used to quantify surface roughness, the characterization of MSF errors, and the study of the degradation of the system performance due to MSF errors.
Presenter
INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (Italy)
Paolo Chioetto obtained his MSc in Computer Engineering and his PhD in Sciences, Technologies, and Measurements for Space, both from the University of Padova. He is also a graduate of the MBA program at IESE Business School in Barcelona.
After several years of experience as a software engineer, project and account manager, he joined the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR–IFN)-Padova as a researcher.
His research experience includes optical and opto-mechanical analysis and design, AIV management (Assembly, Integration, and Verification), optical simulations, characterization and calibration of optical instruments, optical metrology, characterization of optical coatings and data science. He also acquired extensive knowledge of space mission procedures and standards.
He has been actively involved in ESA’s Ariel mission since 2018 and he is currently holding the role of AIV Manager for the Telescope Assembly.