The Development of High Definition, Self-aligning, Ultra-low Mass Space Telescopes - the SUPER-SHARP Engineering Model (SSEM)

该项目旨在开发一种系统，使太空望远镜能够连续地调整其主镜段（和副光学），以获得尽可能清晰的图像。该系统将使望远镜在火箭发射时变得小巧轻便，然后展开成一个更大的配置以供实际使用。由于轻型望远镜结构在初始部署时不能很好地对准，并且在长时间尺度上不能在所需的水平（~100nm）上保持尺寸稳定，因此需要进行连续自对准。这一概念对于空间望远镜和各种尺寸的发射包具有巨大的潜力。它本质上意味着，对于给定的任务成本，可以发射比现有望远镜大5-10倍的望远镜。这意味着对地观测（EO）的地面分辨率提高了5 - 10倍。例如，一个3U的CubeSat版本可以在轨道上展开成一个60厘米的望远镜，在地面上为EO提供30-60厘米的分辨率。另一方面，利用阿丽亚娜6号的全部能力的版本提供了一个有效的主镜跨度24米，可以探测系外行星上生命的光谱特征，或者在地球静止轨道上提供70厘米的地面分辨率。EO是一个庞大且迅速扩大的市场，所提出的技术具有巨大的商业潜力，因为它使太空的高清EO更便宜。通过使由学术联盟组织的空间望远镜项目在经济上可行，它也具有天文学的巨大潜力。对准系统使用机载激光器精确连续地测量主镜段的位置。该信息用于控制镜段的致动器，以便不断保持精确对准。因此，该系统不受太阳辐射和太阳风等外部干扰的影响。它也允许展开，轻型望远镜结构的使用-固有的稳定性不再是一个要求。激光与来自被观察物体的光完全分离，观察和校准同时发生。

The project is to develop a system that allows a space telescope to continuously align its primary mirror segments (and the secondary optics) to give the sharpest possible images. This system will allow the telescope to be small and lightweight for the rocket launch and then unfold into a much larger configuration for actual use. Continuous self-alignment is needed because the light-weight telescope structure will not be well aligned on initial deployment and not dimensionally stable at the required level (~100nm) over long times scales. This concept has enormous potential for space telescopes and launch packages of all sizes. It essentially means that for a given mission cost a telescope that is 5-10 times bigger can be launched compared to current telescopes. This translates in to 5 - 10 times better ground resolution for Earth Observation (EO). For example, a 3U CubeSat version can unfold into a 60cm telescope in orbit and provide 30-60cm resolution on the ground for EO. At the other end of the scale a version which uses the full capacity of an Ariane 6 offers an effective primary mirror span of 24m and could detect the spectroscopic signatures of life on exoplanets or give 70cm ground resolution for EO from geostationary orbit. EO is a large and rapidly expanding market and the technology proposed has great commercial potential because it makes high definition EO from space much more affordable. It also has great potential for astronomy by making space telescope projects organised by academic consortia financially feasible.The alignment system uses an on-board laser to accurately and continuously measure the positions of the primary mirror segments. This information is used to control the actuators for the mirror segments so that precise alignment is constantly maintained. The system is therefore immune to external disturbances such as the solar radiation and the solar wind. It also allows an unfolding, light-weight telescope structure to be used - inherent stability is no longer a requirement. The laser light is completely decoupled from the light coming from whatever is being viewed and viewing and alignment happen at the same time.