Space active optics: performance of a deformable mirror for in-situ wave-front correction in space telescopes

MADRAS (Mirror Active, Deformable and Regulated for Applications in Space) project aims at demonstrating the interest of Active Optics for space applications. We present the prototype of a 24 actuators, 100 mm diameter deformable mirror to be included in a space telescope's pupil relay to compensate for large lightweight primary mirror deformation. The mirror design has been optimized with Finite Element Analysis and its experimental performance characterized in representative conditions. The developed deformable mirror provides an efficient wave-front correction with a limited number of actuators and a design fitting space requirements.

[1]  S. Timoshenko,et al.  THEORY OF PLATES AND SHELLS , 1959 .

[2]  Brian Keith McComas.  Configurable adaptive optics for the correction of space-based optical systems , 2002 .

[3]  Keith Patterson,et al.  Thin deformable mirrors for a reconfigurable space telescope , 2012 .

[4]  J. C. Dainty,et al.  A low cost adaptive optics system using a membrane mirror. , 2000, Optics express.

[5]  G. Lemaitre,et al.  Active Optics: Vase or Meniscus Multimode Mirrors and Degenerated Monomode Configurations , 2005 .

[6]  Wesley A. Traub,et al.  Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope: science drivers and technology developments , 2012 .

[7]  R. Noll.  Zernike polynomials and atmospheric turbulence , 1976 .

[8]  Peter Hartmann,et al.  Forty years of ZERODUR mirror substrates for astronomy: review and outlook , 2008, Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[9]  M. Ferrari.  Development of a variable curvature mirror for the delay lines of the VLT interferometer , 1998 .

[10]  David W. Miller,et al.  Integrated modeling for design of lightweight, active mirrors , 2011 .

[11]  Lothar Noethe,et al.  Active Optics: I. A System for Optimizing the Optical Quality and Reducing the Costs of Large Telescopes , 1987 .

[12]  J. Nelson,et al.  Stressed mirror polishing. 1: A technique for producing nonaxisymmetric mirrors. , 1980, Applied Optics.

[13]  Lee D. Feinberg,et al.  James Webb Space Telescope: large deployable cryogenic telescope in space , 2012 .

[14]  R. H. Freeman,et al.  Deformable Mirrors For All Seasons And Reasons , 1981, Optics & Photonics.

[15]  Joseph M. Howard,et al.  Space telescope design considerations , 2012 .