An 8 Meter Monolithic UV/Optical Space Telescope
- Paper number
IAC-08.D2.8.4
- Author
Dr. H. Philip Stahl, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Marc Postman, Space Telescope Science Institute, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The planned Ares V launch vehicle with its 10 meter fairing and 60,000 kg capacity enables entirely new classes of space telescopes. NASA MSFC and STScI are studying the launch of an 8 meter class monolithic primary mirror telescope to Sun-Earth L2 using an Ares V. This paper reviews the science justification for such a mission and presents technical feasibility information. Specific technical areas studied include optical design; structural design/analysis including primary mirror support structure, sun shade and secondary mirror support structure; thermal analysis; launch vehicle performance and trajectory; spacecraft including structure, propulsion, GNC, avionics, power systems and reaction wheels; operationsservicing; mass budget and system cost. The study telescope was an on-axis three mirror anastigmatic design with a fine steering mirror. The observatory has a 100 arc-minute (8.4 x 12 arc-minutes) of diffraction limited field of view at a wavelength less than 500 nm. The study assumed that the primary mirror would be fabricated from an existing Schott Zerodur residual VLT blank edged to 6.2 meters, 175 mm thick at the edge with a mass of 11,000 kg. The entire mass budget for the observatory including primary mirror, structure, light baffle tube, instruments, space craft, avionics, etc. is less than 40,000 kg – a 33
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.D2.8.4.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.