Design of a high-bandwidth steering mirror for space-based optical communications

A space-based optical communications experiment, developed at Lincoln Laboratory, requires a fast steering mirror as part of its spatial pointing, tracking and acquisition system. The High Bandwidth Steering Mirror version C (HBSM-C), has been designed, built and tested. This device steers a small-aperture mirror of 6 mm about two axes, through an operating range of 25 milliradian and a small-signal closed-loop bandwidth up to 2 kHz. The HBSM-C has endured a rigorous space-qualification test program with no special caging mechanism needed during high-level random vibration of 19 g rms. A description of the functional requirements, design and assembly, and analytical methods used is presented. Key results from performance and environmental testing are shown.