Diffusion Bonded CVC SiC for Large UVOIR Telescope Mirrors and Structures, Phase I

Astro 2010 clearly states the need for large aperture, lightweight mirrors for future UV/Optical telescopes, andrecommends NASA invest in this need during the next 5-years. Table S2-C2 of the 2012 National Research Council report entitled "NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities: Restoring NASA's Technological Edge and Paving the Way for a New Era in Space", calls for a new generation of astronomical telescopes that enable discovery of habitable planets, facilitate advances in solar physics, and enable the study of faint structures around bright objects by developing high-contrast imaging and spectroscopic technologies to provide unprecedented sensitivity, field of view, and spectroscopy of faint objects. The common need cited is a mirror technology that is lightweight, dimensionally stable, high performance, and above all else, cost effective. One of these potential future observatory missions is the Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) (Marc Postman et.al., SPIE Journal of Optical Engineering, 51(1), 011007, January 2012). Low cost, lightweight, dimensionally stable SiC mirrors have use in complex telescopes for Astronomy, Imaging and Remote Sensing applications, including optical instruments/telescopes which enable imaging, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for police and paramilitary units, fire fighters, power and pipeline monitoring, search and rescue, atmospheric and ocean monitoring, imagery and mapping for resource management, and disaster relief and communications. The dual-use nature of complex telescopes will bring affordability to national defense missions as well. More »