High volume ULE segment production

It is expected that many of the next generation large ground based telescopes will utilize a segmented design for the primary mirror and, in some cases, the secondary mirror. Corning Incorporated (Corning) presents a process to manufacture segment mirror blanks from Corning ULE titania silicate glass in segment sizes ranging from 1.0 m to 1.8 m flat to flat. This paper will review ULE properties and describe the facilities, equipment, resources, and processes required to produce a few hundred to a few thousand mirror segment blanks for extremely large telescope (ELT) applications.

[1]  H. Philip Stahl,et al.  Commentary on multivariable parametric cost model for ground optical telescope assembly , 2012 .

[2]  M. Kroedel,et al.  Cesic: manufacturing study for next generation telescopes , 2005, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[3]  Stephen E. Kendrick.  Monolithic versus segmented primary mirror concepts for space telescopes , 2009, Optical Engineering + Applications.

[4]  R. Evans,et al.  Fast manufacturing of E-ELT mirror segments using CNC polishing , 2013, Optics & Photonics - Optical Engineering + Applications.

[5]  Thomas P. Clement.  Design of lightweight beryllium optics, factors effecting producibility, and cost of near-net-shape blanks , 1991, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[6]  Magomed A. Abdulkadyrov,et al.  Fabrication of blanks, figuring, polishing, and testing of solid and segmented astronomical mirrors , 2004, Extremely Large Telescopes.

[7]  Suresh T. Gulati,et al.  ULE - Zero expansion, low density, and dimensionally stable material for lightweight optical systems , 1997, Optics + Photonics.

[8]  Mary J. Edwards,et al.  Improved precision of absolute thermal-expansion measurements for ULE glass , 1996, Optics & Photonics.

[9]  W. D. Shirkey,et al.  Determining absolute thermal expansion of titania-silica glasses: a refined ultrasonic method. , 1975, Applied optics.

[10]  Mary J. Edwards,et al.  Review of Corning's capabilities for ULE mirror blank manufacturing for an extremely large telescope , 2006, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.