Silicon Carbide Optical Telescopes in Small Satellite Constellations

Optical telescopes are used in small satellites for imaging and laser applications serving markets such as earth resources, marine monitoring, communications and weather forecasting. Aluminum and glass are traditional materials used in telescope optical components but have mass and/or thermal properties that impact launch cost and on-station optical performance. In constellation applications where a telescope is the primary payload, both the telescope and any required thermal mitigation mass becomes a large cost consideration due to its multiplication by the number of satellites launched and launch cost per kg. The use of alternate telescope materials that reduce mass and/or thermal sensitivity could provide a significant cost savings. Silicon Carbide (SiC) has material properties that mitigate both weight and thermal issues while delivering optical performance. SiC has been space application proven in large satellite programs for both optical elements and structural components. It\u27s use in custom, single quantity telescope applications is well documented in the literature. This paper investigates the feasibility and trade-offs of SiC telescopes designed for manufacture in the volumes required by constellation style applications