SBIR-STTR Award

Advanced x-ray observatories such as IXO and GenX will require thousands of thin shell mirror segments produced by replication using convex mandrels. Quality and cost effective manufacturing of these segments is proportional to the speed and effectiveness of the metrology we use in manufacturing and the ability to use accurate measurements to enable deterministic fabrication. AOS proposes development of an efficient and accurate metrology system to enable the manufacturing of sements with performance of 0.5 arc-second or better. A curent method to test such mandrels is to stitch multiple meridional profiles acquired using a large aperture plano interferometer and an air-bearing actuated partholder. AOS will advance this method, by building an automated platform, driven by custom developed software, and implementing improvements that will enhance both the accuracy and efficiency of the test.