aluminum mirror; Ariel mission; FEA; optical test; Space Telescope; Aluminium mirrors; Atmospheric remote sensing; Atmospheric remote-sensing infrared exoplanet large-survey mission; Exo-planets; Lagrangian points; Large surveys; Optical test; Optical-; Pre-flight; Primary mirrors; Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Computer Science Applications; Applied Mathematics; Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abstract :
[en] Ariel (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) is an ESA M class mission aimed at the study of exoplanets. The satellite will orbit in the lagrangian point L2 and will survey a sample of 1000 exoplanets simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. The challenging scientific goal of Ariel implies unprecedented engineering efforts to satisfy the severe requirements coming from the science in terms of accuracy. The most important specification - an all-Aluminum telescope - requires very accurate design of the primary mirror (M1), a novel, off-set paraboloid honeycomb mirror with ribs, edge, and reflective surface. To validate such a mirror, some tests were carried out on a prototype - namely Pathfinder Telescope Mirror (PTM) - built specifically for this purpose. These tests, carried out at the Centre Spatial de Liège in Belgium - revealed an unexpected deformation of the reflecting surface exceeding a peek-to-valley of 1µm. Consequently, the test had to be re-run, to identify systematic errors and correct the setting for future tests on the final prototype M1. To avoid the very expensive procedure of developing a new prototype and testing it both at room and cryogenic temperatures, it was decided to carry out some numerical simulations. These analyses allowed first to recognize and understand the reasoning behind the faults occurred during the testing phase, and later to apply the obtained knowledge to a new M1 design to set a defined guideline for future testing campaigns.
Disciplines :
Aerospace & aeronautics engineering
Author, co-author :
Gottini, Daniele; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Pace, Emanuele; Dip. Fisica ed Astronomia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy ; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Tozzi, Andrea; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Bianucci, Giovanni; Media Lario s.r.l., Lecco, Italy
Bocchieri, Andrea; Dip. Fisica, La Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
Brucalassi, Anna; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Canestrari, Rodolfo; INAF-IASF, Palermo, Italy
Carbonaro, Luca; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Chioetto, Paolo; Centro di Ateneo di Studi e Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo”, Padova, Italy ; INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy ; CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie di Padova, Padova, Italy
Cortecchia, Fausto; INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Del Vecchio, Ciro; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Diolaiti, Emiliano; INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Event place :
Montreal, Can
Event date :
17-07-2022 => 22-07-2022
Main work title :
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Editor :
Coyle, Laura E.
Publisher :
SPIE
ISBN/EAN :
978-1-5106-5341-2
Funders :
SPIE - Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
Funding text :
This activity has been realized under the Implementation Agreement n. 2021-5-HH.0 of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) Framework Agreement “Italian Participation to Ariel mission phase B2/C”.