Physics – Optics
Scientific paper
Feb 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004spie.5166..238v&link_type=abstract
UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes: Innovative Technologies and Concepts. Edited by MacEwen, Howard A. Proceedings of the SPIE,
Physics
Optics
2
Scientific paper
Research and development in multi-component composites demonstrated new material and fabrication concepts for mirrors for space-based optics. Cornerstone Research Group, Inc., effort, conducted under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory, developed new organic and inorganic composite materials and investigated their potential for application as light-weight, low-cost alternatives mitigating the drawbacks of conventional materials (glass and metals) and fabrication processes for space-based mirrors. This development demonstrated the feasibility of multi-component organic composites integrating cyanate ester resin with several reinforcements, especially carbon fabric and nanofibers. It demonstrated feasibility of high-quality cyanate ester-based syntactic composite (structural foam composed of microspheres embedded in resin). The development also demonstrated initial feasibility of multi-component inorganic composites integrating a proprietary inorganic resin with particulate and nanofiber reinforcements. These new materials (both organic and inorganic composites) show strong potential for achieving major reduction in mirror areal density (compared with current operational mirrors) while achieving strength, stiffness, and thermal properties required for space applications. Finally, this project demonstrated feasibility of a replication approach to mirror fabrication. With this fabrication technology, a composite mirror is cast directly to net figure and finish. This dramatically simplifies the mirror fabrication process, thereby enabling less expensive tooling than conventional practice for glass or metal mirrors. In production lots of identical mirrors (e.g., spacecraft constellations), the replication approach will provide radical reduction in mirror costs by eliminating the lengthy, expensive grinding and polishing processes for individual units.
Hood Patrick J.
Vining Stephen D.
No associations
LandOfFree
Multicomponent composites and their application in replica mirrors for lightweight space-based optics does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Multicomponent composites and their application in replica mirrors for lightweight space-based optics, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multicomponent composites and their application in replica mirrors for lightweight space-based optics will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1836838