Approaches to lowering the cost of large space telescopes
Abstract
New development approaches, including launch vehicles and advances in sensors, computing, and software, have lowered the cost of entry into space, and have enabled a revolution in low-cost, high-risk Small Satellite (SmallSat) missions. To bring about a similar transformation in larger space telescopes, it is necessary to reconsider the full paradigm of space observatories. Here we will review the history of space telescope development and cost drivers, and describe an example conceptual design for a low cost 6.5 m optical telescope to enable new science when operated in space at room temperature. It uses a monolithic primary mirror of borosilicate glass, drawing on lessons and tools from decades of experience with ground-based observatories and instruments, as well as flagship space missions. It takes advantage, as do large launch vehicles, of increased computing power and space-worthy commercial electronics in low-cost active predictive control systems to maintain stability. We will describe an approach that incorporates science and trade study results that address driving requirements such as integration and testing costs, reliability, spacecraft jitter, and wavefront stability in this new risk-tolerant "LargeSat" context.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2309.04934,
title = {Approaches to lowering the cost of large space telescopes},
author = {Ewan S Douglas and Greg Aldering and Greg W. Allan and Ramya Anche and Roger Angel and Cameron C. Ard and Supriya Chakrabarti and Laird M. Close and Kevin Derby and Jerry Edelstein and John Ford and Jessica Gersh-Range and Sebastiaan Y. Haffert and Patrick J. Ingraham and Hyukmo Kang and Douglas M. Kelly and Daewook Kim and Michael Lesser and Jarron M. Leisenring and Yu-Chia Lin and Jared R. Males and Buddy Martin and Bianca Alondra Payan and Sai Krishanth P. M. and David Rubin and Sanford Selznick and Kyle Van Gorkom and Buell T. Jannuzi and Saul Perlmutter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.04934},
year = {2023}
}
Comments
Presented at SPIE, Optics+Photonics 2023, Astronomical Optics: Design, Manufacture, and Test of Space and Ground Systems IV in San Diego, CA, USA. Minor typos corrected and DOI added 2023 Oct 19th