aluminum mirror; Ariel mission; Cassegrain; cryogenic telescope; Infrared Telescope; space telescope; Aluminium mirrors; Atmospheric remote sensing; Atmospheric remote-sensing infrared exoplanet large survey mission; Cryogenic telescope; Exo-planets; Flexure hinge; Infrared telescopes; Large surveys; Optical Bench; 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 the adopted M4 mission in the framework of the ESA "Cosmic Vision" program. Its purpose is to survey the atmospheres of known exoplanets through transit spectroscopy. The launch is scheduled for 2029. The scientific payload consists of an off-axis, unobscured Cassegrain telescope feeding a set of photometers and spectrometers in the waveband 0.5-7.8 um and operating at cryogenic temperatures (55 K). The Telescope Assembly is based on an innovative fully aluminum design to tolerate thermal variations to avoid impacts on the optical performance; it consists of a primary parabolic mirror with an elliptical aperture of 1.1 m (major axis), followed by a hyperbolic secondary that is mounted on a refocusing system, a parabolic recollimating tertiary and a flat folding mirror directing the output beam parallel to the optical bench. An innovative mounting system based on three flexure hinges supports the primary mirror on one of the optical bench sides. The instrument bay on the other side of the optical bench houses the Ariel IR Spectrometer (AIRS) and the Fine Guidance System / MR Spectrometer (FGS/NIRSpec). The Telescope Assembly is in phase C towards the Critical Design Review; the fabrication of the structural and engineering models is in progress; some components, i.e., the primary mirror and the flexure hinges, are undergoing further qualification activities. This paper aims to update the scientific community on the progress concerning the development, manufacturing, and qualification activity of the ARIEL Telescope Assembly.
Disciplines :
Aerospace & aeronautics engineering
Author, co-author :
Pace, Emanuele; Dip. Fisica ed Astronomia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy ; INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
Abreu, Manuel Adler; University of Lisbon, Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Lisboa, Portugal
Alonso, Gustavo; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Barroqueiro, Bruno; Active Space Technologies S.A., Coimbra, Portugal
Bocchieri, Andrea; Dip. Fisica, La Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
Brucalassi, Anna; 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
Compostizo, Carlos; Sener Aerospacial, Bizkaia, Spain
Cortecchia, Fausto; INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
D'Anca, Fabio; INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Palermo, 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
The telescope assembly of the Ariel space mission An updated overview
Publication date :
2024
Event name :
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Event place :
Yokohama, Jpn
Event date :
16-06-2024 => 22-06-2024
Audience :
International
Main work title :
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Editor :
Coyle, Laura E.
Publisher :
International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE)
ISBN/EAN :
978-1-5106-7507-0
Funders :
JNTO - Japan National Tourism Organization NAOJ - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan NICT - National Institute of Information and Communications Technology SPIE - Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
Funding text :
The TA Scientific Team acknowledges the industrial partners, Leonardo S.p.A. and Media Lario s.r.l. for their support in the design and manufacturing of the telescope parts. This activity has been developed under the Implementation Agreement n. 2021-5-HH.0 \"Italian Participation to Ariel mission phase B2/C\" between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and under the ASI contracts n. 2021-21-1.0 \"ARIEL TA Phase B Industrial Activities\" and n. 2023-42-1.0 \"ARIEL TA Phase C/Dl Industrial Activities\".
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