Active mirrors for on-orbit alignment of the second generation Wide-Field and Planetary Camera

James L. Fanson; John T. Trauger

doi:10.1117/12.160409

15 October 1993 Active mirrors for on-orbit alignment of the second-generation Wide-Field/Planetary Camera

James L. Fanson, John T. Trauger

Proceedings Volume 1996, Optical Alignment; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.160409
Event: SPIE's 1993 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1993, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Correcting the spherical aberration of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) requires precise optical alignment and stability. To assure that the required alignment can be achieved and maintained on-orbit, the pickoff mirror and three of the four fold mirrors of the second generation Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC-2) have been made actively controllable in tip and tilt. The Pickoff Mirror Mechanism (POMM) and the Articulating Fold Mirrors (AFMs) are commanded from the ground to their required positions once the WFPC-2 is installed in the HST. The POMM is a set-and-forget device that utilizes stepper motors, while the AFMs are maintained in position by the continuous application of control voltages to electrostrictive ceramic actuators. This paper describes the assembly level testing and calibration of the AFMs, and the development of a software tool that generates the commands for adjusting the positions of the POMM and AFMs to achieve system level optical alignment. Our experience with the POMM and AFMs through system level calibration and testing of the WFPC-2 instrument is described.

Citation Download Citation

James L. Fanson and John T. Trauger "Active mirrors for on-orbit alignment of the second-generation Wide-Field/Planetary Camera", Proc. SPIE 1996, Optical Alignment, (15 October 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.160409

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