SPHEREx is a Medium Explorer astrophysics mission that requires a wide-field cryogenic short-wave infrared (SWIR) to mid-wave infrared (MWIR) telescope. The SPHEREx telescope has been designed and built at Ball Aerospace based on a JPL optical prescription and system architecture. The telescope has a 20cm entrance pupil, three freeform aluminum mirrors, a dichroic beam splitter furnished by Caltech, and forms two images in the SWIR and MWIR spectral bands. The “all-aluminum” architecture combined with a cryogenic space environment defines the opto-mechanical design approach for this system. Ball Aerospace performed developmental testing on a flight-like aluminum engineering development mirror for cryogenic surface figure and measured the differential thermal expansion of structural and optical aluminum materials. These development tests validated aspects of the athermal design prior to system-level integration and test. The telescope alignment process uses a laser tracker and system wavefront error (WFE) data to determine the adjustment of two mirrors and a focal plane assembly optical simulator (FPAOS). The FPAOS provides a retroreflection of interferometer light from each image location and an athermal focus position. The FPAOS was used in place of the SWIR band focal plane during system alignment and was moved to the MWIR focal plane interface to validate WFE performance in both bands. A cryogenic system WFE test was conducted to validate SWIR band performance at operational temperatures, and a post-vibrational WFE test demonstrates flight readiness. The SPHEREx telescope has been tested, delivered, and is ready for the next level of system integration.
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) will expand the information space for study of cosmic sources, by adding polarization to the properties (time, energy, and position) observed in x-ray astronomy. Selected in 2017 January as a NASA Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) mission, IXPE will be launched into an equatorial orbit in 2021. The IXPE observatory includes three identical x-ray telescopes, each comprising a 4-m-focal-length (grazing-incidence) mirror module assembly (MMA) and a polarization-sensitive (imaging) detector unit (DU). The optical bench separating the MMAs from the DUs is a deployable boom with a tip/tilt/rotation stage for DU-to-MMA (gang) alignment, similar to the configuration used for the NuSTAR observatory. The IXPE mission will provide scientifically meaningful measurements of the x-ray polarization of a few dozen sources in the 2-8 keV band, over the first two years of the mission. For several bright, extended x-ray sources (pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants, and an active-galaxy jet), IXPE observations will produce polarization maps indicating the magnetic structure of the synchrotron emitting regions. For many bright pulsating x-ray sources (isolated pulsars, accreting x-ray pulsars, and magnetars), IXPE observations will produce phase-resolved profiles of the polarization degree and position angle.
The NASA ESTO funded Multi-slit Optimized Spectrometer (MOS) Instrument Incubator Program will advance a spatial multiplexing spectrometer for coastal ocean remote sensing from lab demonstration to flight like environment testing. Vibration testing to meet the GEVS requirements for a geostationary orbit launch will be performed. The multiple slit design reduces the required telescope aperture leading to mass and volume reductions over conventional spectrometers when applied to the GEO-CAPE oceans mission. The MOS program is entering year 3 of the 3-year program where assembly and test activities will demonstrate the performance of the MOS concept. This paper discusses the instrument design, fabrication and assembly. It outlines the test plan to realize a technology readiness level of 6. Testing focuses on characterizing radiometric impacts of the multiple slit images multiplexed onto a common focal plane, and assesses the resulting uncertainties imparted to the ocean color data products. The MOS instrument implementation for GEO-CAPE provides system benefits that can lead to cost savings and risk reduction while meeting the science objectives of understanding the dynamic coastal ocean environment.
The CALIPSO LIDAR utilizes a receiver telescope with a narrow Field-of-View (FOV) to reject background light and meet SNR requirements - FOV ≈ 130 μrad. To maximize SNR the laser is collimated (divergence ≈100 μrad) and must be aligned to the receiver telescope FOV to within +/- 12 μrad (allocated). To make accurate LIDAR measurements the receiver/laser alignment must not vary by more than +/- 10 μrad (allocated) over an orbit. To make accurate depolarization measurements of clouds, the polarization axis of the laser must be aligned to within +/- 0.5 degrees (allocated) relative to the aft optical bench polarization axis and maintain alignment throughout the motion of the boresight adjustment range. The Active Boresight Mechanism provides a means of re-aligning the laser to the telescope on-orbit. A comprehensive performance testing campaign demonstrated that the Active Boresight Mechanism met or exceeded requirements. On-orbit performance results are imminent, as CALIPSO is scheduled for launch this Fall.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.