NASA SBIR 00-1 SOLICITATION
FORM 9B - PROJECT SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER 00-1 17.02-9124 (Chron: 000877 )
PROJECT TITLE
Long Focal Length Large Mirror Fabrication System
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA is interested in large, coherent, primary mirrors with good optical figure. An approach now followed by all major observatories is to make the large mirror of smaller segments that are phased together. Hexagons ~1 meter in diameter are a possible segment size. Over one hundred one meter segments are required even for a 10 meter diameter primary. Segments will have a long focal length, f/20 or more, even if the resultant large mirror is f/2 or less. Means for making and measuring high quality, low scatter, long focal length, large adaptive optic deformable mirrors economically is thus greatly needed, as stated in the subtopic. This proposal presents one solution. Effects of turbulence and air layering are largely eliminated by making most of the long focal length path virtual. A technique for economically superpolishing large mirrors for low scatter is presented and will be domonstrated. A precision fiber optic interferometer said to increase the measuring precision of commercial interferometers by an order of magnitude will be evaluated in Phase I. Its use on large, long focal length superpolished mirrors measured using virtual path length techiques will be demonstrated in the Phase II program.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The approach proposed above is an enabling technology for the large optics commercial fabrication community to aid in producing superior large mirrors economically. Most, if not all, of the ideas presented come from published work and are not patentable, but to our knowledge they have not been put together in this way previously. Bennett Optical Research (BOR) was founded to exploit NASA ideas on providing more space power for satellites (1),and is a specialized optical fabrication facility. In the five years in which we have been operating we have amassed about half a million dollars in optical and machine shop equipment, some of it novel, and have worked diligently on technical issues associated with beaming laser power to satellites in space. We believe most of the technical issues have been solved, and we are now seeking partners and major commercial funding (initially 250 million dollars for the first station, ultimately 5 billion dollars) to establish a network of laser power beaming stations around the world. Our interests in optical fabrication parallel NASA's in many areas and we would be happy to collaborate with them in resolving some of the fabrication questions associated with large optics for space.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Dr. Harold Bennett
Bennett Optical Research, Inc.
201 N. Sanders Street
Ridgecrest , CA 93555 - 3867
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Bennett Optical Research, Inc.
201 N. Sanders Street
Ridgecrest , CA 93555 - 3867