Milestone in Telescope Integration Achieved!
On January 28, 2003,
the installation of the SOFIA Telescope Suspension Assembly
was completed. This milestone in the SOFIA program successfully
culminates one of the most critical engineering and production
modifications ever attempted.
The suspension assembly is the main support
and guidance system for the telescope. It includes the large
spherical bearing on which the weight of the telescope will
eventually rest, the air-filled vibration isolators, and the
laser gyroscopes which will be used to guide the rapid re-pointing
of the telescope as the aircraft makes slight in-flight movements
Other main components to be installed are:
Naysmyth tube: large hollow cylinder that
passes through the center of the main bearing. On one end,
inside the aircraft, the telescope counterweights, instrument
flange, and instruments will be attached. On the other end,
inside the cavity, the main telescope will be attached to
the end of the Nasmyth tube
Main telescope: consists of tthree main
parts—metering structure, secondary mirror support (someitmes
called a spider), and the primary mirror support. The metering
structure is the box-like set of girders and trusses. The
spider is the set of three vanes atop the meter structure
which supports the secondary mirror. The primary mirror assembly
is the mirror and the mirror support assembly, to which it
is permenently attached.
04 Feb 2003
Latest on the development on the SOFIA
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