Raytheon Company

Keith Carrigan

Sunder S Rajan

John F Silny

Mary K Herndon

Nicholas J LoVullo

Kurt S Ketola

Robert L Patterson

Jonathan Tong

An aerospace mirror having a reaction bonded (RB) silicon carbide (SiC) mirror substrate, and a SiC cladding on the RB SiC mirror substrate forming an optical surface on a front side of the aerospace mirror. A method for manufacturing an aerospace mirror comprising obtaining a green mirror preform comprising porous carbon, silicon carbide (SiC), or both, the green mirror preform defining a front side of the aerospace mirror and a back side of the aerospace mirror opposite the front side; removing material from the green mirror preform to form support ribs on the back side; infiltrating the green mirror preform with silicon to create a reaction bonded (RB) SiC mirror substrate from the green mirror preform; forming a mounting interface surface on the back side of the aerospace mirror from the RB SiC mirror substrate, and forming a reflector surface of the RB SiC mirror substrate on the front side of the aerospace mirror. Additionally, the method can comprise cladding the reflector surface of the RB SiC mirror substrate with SiC to form an optical surface of the aerospace mirror.

Aerospace mirror manufacturing assembly

A flexure including a bipod strut pair extending from a base and a titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy, which includes titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 weight % (wt. %) niobium. The titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy has a congruent melting temperature of about 1750 to about 1800° Celsius (° C.).

Congruently melting high purity titanium alloy for optical mounts, flexures, and structural elements requiring compliance

A space optical system is disclosed. The space optical system can include a primary support structure in support of a primary mirror. The space optical system can also include a sensor mounting structure coupled to the primary support structure and extending to an exterior of space optical system. The space optical system can further include first and second sensors mounted on the sensor mounting structure. In one aspect, the sensor mounting structure can comprise a thermally and mechanically stable, non-zero CTE material.

Space optical system with integrated sensor mounts

An optical mount part having a body that includes a composite of a titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy. The titanium-niobium-zirconium alloy includes titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 weight % (wt. %) niobium. The titanium-niobium-zirconium alloy has a congruent melting temperature of about 1750 to about 1800&#xb0; Celsius (&#xb0; C.).

Property tailored additively manufactured composite structural elements using congruently melted titanium-niobium-zirconium alloy matrix

A flexure including a bipod strut pair extending from a base and a titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy, which includes titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 weight % (wt. %) niobium. The titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy has a congruent melting temperature of about 1750 to about 1800&#xb0; Celsius (&#xb0; C.).

Method of manufacture for a lightweight, high-precision silicon carbide mirror assembly

A mirror system including a primary mirror, and a secondary mirror with different coefficients of thermal expansion. A negative CTE strut can include a main body portion, a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion disposed opposite one another about the main body portion and defining a strut length. The first and second coupling portions can each interface with an external structure. The negative CTE strut can include an offsetting extension member having a first end coupled to the main body portion and a second end coupled to the first coupling portion by an intermediate extension member. The first and second ends can define an offset length parallel to the strut length. When the negative CTE strut increases in temperature, the offset length can be configured to increase due to thermal expansion of the offsetting extension member sufficient to cause the strut length to decrease.

Multi-material mirror system

An optical system is disclosed that can include a focal plane. The optical system can also include a primary mirror located in front of the focal plane and having a hole operable to allow light to pass through the primary mirror. The optical system can further include a secondary mirror located in front of the primary mirror and operable to direct light through the hole to the focal plane. The optical system can still further include an intermediate field baffle located at least partially in front of the focal plane. In addition, the optical system can include a shutter mechanism located in front of the baffle. An integrated baffle and shutter device is also disclosed that can include a shutter mechanism having a paddle and an actuator operable to selectively move the paddle between an open position that allows light past the shutter mechanism and a closed position that blocks light. The integrated baffle and shutter device can also include a primary mirror baffle coupled to the shutter mechanism on a front side of the shutter mechanism. The primary mirror baffle can form a housing about the paddle.

Optical system having integrated primary mirror baffle and shutter mechanism

A mirror system is disclosed. The mirror system can include a primary mirror, and a secondary mirror supported relative to the primary mirror. The primary mirror and the secondary mirror can have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). A negative CTE strut is also disclosed. The negative CTE strut can include a main body portion. The negative CTE strut can also include a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion disposed opposite one another about the main body portion and defining a strut length. The first and second coupling portions can each be configured to interface with an external structure. In addition, the negative CTE strut can include an offsetting extension member having a first end coupled to the main body portion and a second end coupled to the first coupling portion by an intermediate extension member. The first end can be between the first coupling portion and the second end. The first and second ends can define an offset length parallel to the strut length. When the negative CTE strut increases in temperature, the offset length can be configured to increase due to thermal expansion of the offsetting extension member sufficient to cause the strut length to decrease.

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Playa Vista, CA, United States of America

Keith Carrigan