Canadian Astro-H Metrology System (CAMS) Program: PLX Invar-mounted hard mount retroreflectors.
December 01, 2014 00:00
Canadian Astro-H Metrology System (CAMS) Program: PLX Invar-mounted hard mount retroreflectors with 1.94” clear aperture and 0.5-arc second accuracy.
Astro-H is a space-based X-ray observatory scheduled to be launched in 2016. The mission is an international collaboration with participation from institutions in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Astro-H will have hard x-ray telescopes of 12 meters focal length. CAMS is the metrology system designed to measure the later (X/Y) and rotational (roll) displacement in the spacecraft’s optical bench relative to the instruments.
PLX manufactured two Invar-mounted hard mount retroreflectors of 1.94” clear aperture and 0.5-arc second accuracy for use on Astro-H. A laser is aimed at each of the units, which returns the beam parallel to itself with a known offset to a two-dimensional detector. Any shift of the units will be read as an offset on the detectors.
References:
- http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/astro-h.asp
- http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/workshops/2011symposium/talks/Takahashi_TopicK.pdf
- http://astro-h.isas.jaxa.jp/en/
- http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/astroh/
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- ICESat-2 program: PLX vacuum-compatible Lateral Transfer Hollow Retroreflector with a 5” aperture, 18.5” separation and 1 arc second accuracy.
- Geophysics Interferometer: Long-baseline laser strainmeter system installed in 1 kM deep tunnel in Japan uses PLX 15” clear aperture Hollow Retroreflector.
- Environmental Monitoring Program: New PLX retroreflectors with stand up to 800 degrees F.
