Cryomechanisms for positioning the optical components of the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) for NGST

Mechanisms operating in the cryovacuum are required to rotate filter and dichroic wheels, to tilt gratings and to flip in the beam of an internal calibration source. The design proposed here is based on similar mechanisms flown successfully on the liquid helium cooled European ISO-satellite and being presently under qualification for ESA's cooled HERSCHEL-satellite. Their main characteristics are high reliability during the 10 year lifetime in space, high precision and low heat dissipation in the cryovacuum.