NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA)· 2006
Space Optics for the 21st Century
- 0citations
- 2006year
Short summary
Advances in metrology, fabrication, materials, and adaptive optics enable future space telescopes with significantly larger collecting areas and higher resolution than Hubble.
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Key points
- Technological advances in metrology, fabrication, and materials are driving progress in space optics.
- Adaptive optics further enhance the potential for radical changes in future space telescopes.
- Future space telescopes will feature significantly greater collecting areas and resolution.
- Mirror technology for the James Webb Telescope demonstrated an order of magnitude less area density than Hubble's primary mirror.
- Membrane optics offer the potential for an additional order of magnitude decrease in area density.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Technological advances over the last decade in metrology, fabrication techniques and materials have made a significant impact on spacebased astronomy and together with advances in adaptive optics offer the opportunity for even more radical changes in the future. The Hubble Space Telescope primary mirror is 2.4 meters in diameter and weighs on the order of 150 kilograms per square meter. The technology demonstration mirrors developed for the James Webb Telescope had an order of magnitude less in area density and developments in membrane optics offer the opportunity to achieve another order of magnitude decrease. Similar advances in mirrors for x-ray astronomy means that across the spectrum future space based telescopes will have greater and greater collecting areas with ever increasing resolution.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA), 2006 · DOI ↗
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Field: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsPhysics and Astronomy