Product category:
Materials and components
News Release from: Optical Surfaces | Subject: Precision optics
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 10 November 2003
Advanced optics to benefit Earth
observation
Three high-precision aspheric mirrors form key elements at the heart of the advanced optical system to be used by the novel low-cost TopSat Earth observation satellite.
Optical Surfaces has supplied three high-precision aspheric mirrors that form key elements at the heart of the advanced optical system to be used by the novel low-cost TopSat Earth observation satellite Jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and British National Space Centre (BNSC) the TopSat project has drawn upon the expertise of a consortium of companies with world-class capabilities in small satellites and high-performance space missions
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 17 Jun 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Due for launch in 2004, TopSat consists of a low-mass optical telescope able to form 15 x 15km images of the Earth's surface with a panchromatic resolution of 2.5m integrated with a micro-satellite platform to enable image data to be downloaded to a mobile ground station.
The long effective focal length and large optical aperture required for 2.5m imagery in the TopSat satellite design necessitated that Optical Surfaces produce three ultrasmooth off-axis aspheric mirrors.
Using proprietary manufacturing techniques Optical Surfaces was able to produce in Zerodur the three thin off-axis mirrors, the largest of which was 240 x 280mm and only 25mm thick.
All mirrors were finished to achieve a uniform lambda/15 peak-to-valley over the whole working area.
Alignment and focus of the TopSat optical system are maintained by the high thermal stability of the monocoque construction, fabricated in low-mass carbon fibre reinforced plastic composite materials.
To maximise coverage and sensitivity whilst minimising size and mass, push-broom imaging with a linear CCD has been used.
Optical Surfaces was selected for its proven record in manufacturing and testing demanding high precision astrophysics and telescope optics.
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