Engineering topics

Burdine, Robert

Publications and source records attributed to Burdine, Robert.

18 records

NASA NTRS2002

Materials Properties Research at MSFC

MSFC is currently planning, organizing and directing test coupon fabrication and subsequent CTE testing for two mirror materials of specific interest to the AMSD and NGST programs, Beryllium 0-30H (Be 0-30H) and Ultra Low Expansion glass (ULE). The ULE test coupons are being fabricated at MSFC from AMSD core residuals provided by Kodak, The Be 0-30H test coupons are being fabricated at Brush Wellman using residuals from the SBMD. Both sets of test coupons will be sent to a test vendor selected through the NASA competitive proposal process with the test results being provided by written report to MSFC by the end of the fiscal year. The test results will become model input data for the AMSD analysts, both MSFC and contractor, providing an enhancement to the historical CTE data currently available.

Presson, Joan B.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Status of NASA Mirror Technology Development for Large Space Telescopes

This paper presents the current status of several NASA technology development activities, including: Sub-scale Beryllium Mirror Demonstrator (SBMD), NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope) Mirror System Demonstrator (NMSD), Advanced Mirror System Demonstrator (AMSD), etc.. It also describes how these activities map into future NASA mission requirements, including: Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory (SAFIR), Space Ultraviolet/Optical Observatory (SUVO), etc..

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2002

Structural Health Monitoring of Composite Materials Using Distributed Fiber Bragg Sensors

Health monitoring of polymer matrix composite materials using fiber optic Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is accomplished using a tunable IR (infrared) laser via transmission mode. Results are presented from experiments of composite structures with FBG's embedded at various orientations, and surface measurements of various cryogenic composite vessels.

Grant, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS2002

Status of NASA Mirror Technology Development for Large Space Telescopes

This talk will present the current status of several NASA technology development activities, including: SBMD, NMSD, AMSD (Advanced Mirror System Demonstrator), etc.. And will discuss how these activities map into future NASA mission requirements, including: NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope), SAFIR, SUVO, etc.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

Overview of SBMD, NMSD and AMSD

For the past several years, NASA has conducted a coordinated mirror technology development program via SBIR's and contracts. This presentation provides a programmatic overview of three specific projects: SBMD (Subscale Beryllium Mirror Demonstrator), NMSD (NGST Mirror System Demonstrator) and AMSD (Advanced Mirror System Demonstrator). Specific emphasis will be given to technical constraints and objectives.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

IABG CSiC Mirror

CSiC has been proposed as a material for large cryogenic mirrors because of its unique material properties. However, there is limited experience in the cryogenic optical performance of CSiC mirrors. Therefore, a CSiC mirror was fabricated for NASA MSFC by IABG, polished by General Optics and cryogenic tested by MSFC in its XRCF. This presentation will review the history of this mirror and summarize the results of its cryogenic testing.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

XRCF Testing Capabilities

The Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center's X-ray Calibration Facility has been recently modified to test Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) developmental mirrors at cryogenic temperatures (35 degrees Kelvin) while maintaining capability for performance testing of x-ray optics and detectors. The facility's current cryo-optical testing capability and potential modifications for future support of NGST will be presented.

Reily, Cary↗

NASA NTRS2001

Segment Alignment Maintenance System for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Blue Line Engineering of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is developing a Segment Alignment Maintenance System (SAMS) for McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The SAMS shall sense motions of the 91 primary mirror segments and send corrections to HET's primary mirror controller as the mirror segments misalign due to thermo -elastic deformations of the mirror support structure. The SAMS consists of inductive edge sensors. All measurements are sent to the SAMS computer where mirror motion corrections are calculated. In October 2000, a prototype SAMS was installed on a seven-segment cluster of the HET. Subsequent testing has shown that the SAMS concept and architecture are a viable practical approach to maintaining HET's primary mirror figure, or the figure of any large segmented telescope. This paper gives a functional description of the SAMS sub-array components and presents test data to characterize the performance of the subarray SAMS.

Rakoczy, John↗

NASA NTRS2001

MSFC Coating Facilities

The Marshall Space Flight Center's Coating Facilities are presented in viewgraph form.

Shapiro, Alan P.↗

NASA NTRS2001

AMSD Test Plan

NASA MSFC is the lead center on the Advanced Mirror System Demonstrator (AMSD) project and therefore has responsibility for testing each AMSD mirror to certify its compliance with the SOW. To accomplish this task it is necessary to accurately characterize each mirror's Radius of Curvature, Optical Axis Vertex Location, Conic Constant and Surface Figure Error. A key challenge is how to measure these parameters in the presence of gravity sag. This presentation will outline the MSFC/UAH team's proposed AMSD test plan.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

Joined Beryllium Mirror Demonstrator

Fabrications of large Beryllium optical components are fundamentally limited by available facility capabilities. To overcome this limitation, NASA funded Brush Wellman Corp to study a Be joining process. Four 76 mm diameters samples and a 0.5 mm diameter Joined Beryllium Mirror Demonstrator (JBMD) were fabricated. This presentation will review the fabrication of these samples and summarize the results of their cryogenic testing at MSFCs XRCF.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

MSFC Surface Metrology (Surface Morphology)

NASA's Surface Metrology is presented in viewgraph form. The topics include: 1) Facilities/Major Equipment; 2) Taylor Hobson NanoStep II; 3) Topometrix; and 4) Surface Metrology Applications.

Shapiro, Alan P.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Replication of Low Density Electroformed Normal Incidence Optics

Replicated electroformed light-weight nickel alloy mirrors can have high strength, low areal density (less than 3kg/m2), smooth finish, and controllable alloy composition. Progress at NASA MSFC SOMTC in developing normal incidence replicated Nickel mirrors will be reported.

Ritter, Joseph M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Recent Enhancements of the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) Telescope Testbed at MSFC

Recent incremental upgrades to the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) telescope testbed have enabled the demonstration of phasing (with a monochromatic source) of clusters of primary mirror segments down to the diffraction limit. PAMELA upgrades include in improved Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, passive viscoelastic damping treatments for the voice-coil actuators, mechanical improvement of mirror surface figures, and optical bench baffling. This report summarizes the recent PAMELA upgrades, discusses the lessons learned, and presents a status of this unique testbed for wavefront sensing and control. The Marshall Space Flight Center acquired the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) telescope in 1993 after Kaman Aerospace was unable to complete integration and testing under the limited SDIO and DARPA funding. The PAMELA is a 36-segment, half-meter aperture, adaptive telescope which utilizes a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, inductive coil edge sensors, voice coil actuators, imaging CCD cameras and interferometry for figure alignment, wavefront sensing and control. MSFC originally obtained the PAMELA to supplement its research in the interactions of control systems with flexible structures. In August 1994, complete tip, tilt and piston control was successfully demonstrated using the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and the inductive edge sensors.

Rakoczy, John↗

NASA NTRS2001

Mirror Technology Development at MSFC for the Next Generation Space Telescope and Other Space Telescope Missions

Large-aperture low-areal-density mirrors are critical to the success of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) as well as other related space missions such as the Space Based Laser (SBL). Currently fabrication technology has demonstrated areal densities of 50 kg/sq m. NASA and its DOD partners are conducting a series of risk reduction projects to demonstrate mirror fabrication technology for mirror systems with areal densities of 15 kg/sq m. This talk will present an overview of these risk reduction experiments.

Stahl, H. Philip↗

NASA NTRS2001

AMSD Alignment Sensitivity Analysis

A review of the optical layout for AMSD testing is presented. This includes all optical components from the point source to the mirror under test. The independent sources of error and uncertainty are discussed, and the approach to determining and reducing the measurement uncertainties is presented.

Reardon, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS2000

Effect of UV Absorption on Fabrication of Fiber-Optic Bragg Gratings

UV light is used to fabricate fiber-optic gratings also heats up the fiber due to absorption by either the fiber-buffer, fiber-cladding, doped with titania or a thin coating of paint. Significant enhancement in the rate of grating fabrication is observed due to UV light absorption.

Wang, Ying↗

NASA NTRS1998

MSFC Optical Metrology: A National Resource

A national need exists for Large Diameter Optical Metrology Services. These services include the manufacture, testing, and assurance of precision and control necessary to assure the success of large optical projects. "Best Practices" are often relied on for manufacture and quality controls while optical projects are increasingly more demanding and complex. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has acquired unique optical measurement, testing and metrology capabilities through active participation in a wide variety of NASA optical programs. An overview of existing optical facilities and metrology capabilities is given with emphasis on use by other optical projects. Cost avoidance and project success is stressed through use of existing MSFC facilities and capabilities for measurement and metrology controls. Current issues in large diameter optical metrology are briefly reviewed. The need for a consistent and long duration Large Diameter Optical Metrology Service Group is presented with emphasis on the establishment of a National Large Diameter Optical Standards Laboratory. Proposals are made to develop MSFC optical standards and metrology capabilities as the primary national standards resource, providing access to MSFC Optical Core Competencies for manufacturers and researchers. Plans are presented for the development of a national lending library of precision optical standards with emphasis on cost avoidance while improving measurement assurance.

Burdine, Robert↗