Optical pathlength control experiment on JPL phase B testbed
Abstract
An experimental implementation of a nanometer level optical pathlength control for large baseline space interferometry is presented. The pathlength compensation system is installed on a large flexible experimental truss, thus structural motions play a dominant role in the control system design. The associated control structure interaction problem is addressed to maintain the optical pathlength within the prescribed variation of 10-15 nanometer rms. By a successful blend of a structural control for damping augmentation and a direct pathlength control for the pathlength compensation, the optical pathlength variation has been maintained with 6 nanometer rms under the laboratory ambient disturbance and within 9 nanometer rms under a severe forced resonant disturbance.
- Publication:
-
AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC 34th Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference
- Pub Date:
- April 1993
- Bibcode:
- 1993ssdm.conf.3319R
- Keywords:
-
- Control Systems Design;
- Optical Paths;
- Spaceborne Astronomy;
- Spacecraft Control;
- Vibration Damping;
- Feedback Control;
- Very Long Base Interferometry;
- Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance