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Cryogenic testing of the integrated Ariel space telescope: design of the optical test equipment

R. Spry, M. Abreu, K. Nowicki, N. E. Bowles, M. F. Rashman, C. P. Pereira, J. Hutchinson, D. Castro Alves, R. Evans, R. A. Watkins, W. Mir, J. Walker, I. Argyriou, J. Guy, J. Schmoll, C. Davison, H. Eshbaugh, A. Cabral, R. Drummond, L. Desjonquères, M. Anderson, G. Bishop, P. Eccleston, E. Pascale, A. Caldwell, G. Tinetti

Abstract
In this proceeding, we present the development of the Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE) used for payload-level testing of the Ariel space mission. Ariel is an ESA mission that will use the transit spectroscopy method to observe the atmospheres of nominally ~1000 exoplanets. Ariel is a 1 m class cryogenic (∼ 40 K) space telescope that will be placed in a halo orbit around the Earth-Sun L2 point. To detect atmospheric molecular absorption features, Ariel will produce medium-resolution spectra (R ≥ 15) using three spectroscopic channels covering 1.1 – 7.9 μm as well as having photometric channels covering 0.5 – 1.1 μm. To achieve Ariel’s science goals, the payload requires detailed calibration and performance verification. The payload-level performance verification of the Ariel payload will take place in 2026 in a 5-meter vacuum chamber at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory’s Space Instruments Test Facility. The payload will be enclosed in a Cryogenic Test Rig (CTR) to provide a space-like (~35 K) thermal environment and is illuminated by the OGSE. The OGSE provides point as well as extended source illumination across Ariel’s full wavelength range. The OGSE design also includes a series of mechanisms and features to enable the various illumination conditions required to test Ariel. Here we report design updates to the OGSE after a preliminary design review (PDR). Since PDR, there have been substantial revisions to the OGSE architecture. In this proceeding, we describe the evolution of the OGSE architecture. The updated OGSE design will then be presented.

Keywords
Light sources and illumination; Mirrors; Cryogenics; Monochromators; Design; Optical spheres; Sensors; Calibration; Vacuum chambers; Optical alignment

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Shuji Matsuura Laura E. Coyle

SPIE
Proceedings of the SPIE
Volume 13092, Page 17
2024 August

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Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia COMPETE 2020 PORTUGAL 2020 União Europeia