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Preliminary error budgets for the pointing knowledge, control, and stability of the SIM spacecraft are constructed using the specifications of commercial off-the-shelf attitude determination sensors, attitude control actuators, and other spacecraft capabilities that had been demonstrated in past missions.
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A common-path laser heterodyne interferometer capable of measuring the internal optical path difference (OPD) with accuracy of the order of 10 pm was demonstrated at JPL. To achieve this accuracy, the relative power received by the detector that is contributed by the scattering of light at the optical surfaces should be less than -97 dB. A method has been developed to estimate the cyclic error caused by the scattering of the optical surfaces. The result of the analysis is presented.
'SIM PlanetQuest will exploit the classical measuring tool of astrometry (interferometry) with unprecedented precision to make dramatic advances in many areas of astronomy and astrophysics'(1). In order to obtain interferometric data two large steerable mirrors, or Siderostats, are used to direct starlight into the interferometer. A gimbaled mechanism actuated by linear actuators is chosen to meet the unprecedented pointing and angle tracking requirements of SIM. A group of JPL engineers designed, built, and tested a linear ballscrew actuator capable of performing submicron incremental steps for 10 years of continuous operation. Precise, zero backlash, closed loop pointing control requirements, lead the team to implement a ballscrew actuator with a direct drive DC motor and a precision piezo brake. Motor control commutation using feedback from a precision linear encoder on the ballscrew output produced an unexpected incremental step size of 20 nm over a range of 120 mm, yielding a dynamic range of 6,000,000:1. The results prove linear nanometer positioning requires no gears, levers, or hydraulic converters. Along the way many lessons have been learned and will subsequently be shared.
SIM Planetquest (SIM) is a large optical interferometer for making microarcsecond measurements of the positions of stars, and to detect Earth-sized planets around nearby stars. To achieve this precision, SIM requires stability of optical components to tens of picometers per hour. The combination of SIM s large size (9 meter baseline) and the high stability requirement makes it difficult and costly to measure all aspects of system performance on the ground. To reduce risks, costs and to allow for a design with fewer intermediate testing stages, the SIM project is developing an integrated thermal, mechanical and optical modeling process that will allow predictions of the system performance to be made at the required high precision. This modeling process uses commercial, off-the-shelf tools and has been validated against experimental results at the precision of the SIM performance requirements. This paper presents the description of the model development, some of the models, and their validation in the Thermo-Opto-Mechanical (TOM3) testbed which includes full scale brassboard optical components and the metrology to test them at the SIM performance requirement levels.
A common-path laser heterodyne interferometer capable of measuring the internal OPD with accuracy of the order of 10 picometers was demonstrated at JPL. To achieve this accuracy, the relative power received by the detector that is contributed by the scattering of light at the optical surfaces should be less than -97 dB. A method has been developed to estimate the cyclic error caused by the scattering of the optical surfaces. The result of the analysis is presented.
This paper will describe how the SIM thermal control designers have addressed some of these very challenging requirements.
This paper will describe the conceptual design of the PSS including the trades and analyses that led to this design.
In this paper we outline the design of the SIM Instrument, and how it will be used in the search for extrasolar planets. We also briefly describe some selected topics from the SIM astrometric science program.
Optical and infrared interferometry will open new vistas for astronomy over the next decade.
This paper briefly describes the nanometer-class metrology system used in this testbed to estimate the length and orientation of the science baseline vector, which cannot be measured directly. The focus is on the mathematical inversion problem that results and its solution.
Optical and infrared interferometry will open new vistas for astronomy over the next decade.
Optical and infrared interferometry will open new vistas for astronomy over the next decade.