Proposal Number:          21-1- S2.03-1869

          

          

   

Subtopic Title:
      Advanced Optical Systems and Fabrication/Testing/Control Technologies for Extended-Ultraviolet/Optical and Infrared Telescope

          

          

   

Proposal Title:
      RMI Proposal for 2021 Topic S2.03: Near-Infrared LiDAR Spherical Beam Expander Telescope

          

          

   

Firm:

          

Rocky Mountain Instrument Co.

          

   

Address:

          

106 Laser Drive, Lafayette, CO 80026

          

   

Phone:

          

(303) 664-5000                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Name:

          

Joseph Pacheco

          

   

E-mail:

          

jpacheco@rmico.com

          

   

Address:

          

106 Laser Dr., CO 80026 - 2930

          

   

Phone:

          

(303) 664-5000                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Name:

          

Steven Hahn

          

   

E-mail:

          

shahn@rmico.com

          

   

Address:

          

106 Laser Dr., CO 80026 - 2930

          

   

Phone:

          

(303) 664-5000                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) :                                                                                                                                                          
Begin: 3
End: 4

          

          

     

Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words):

RMI proposes to innovate on previous intermediate aperture off-axis designs used by NASA for flight LiDAR applications by utilizing a Maksutov-Cassegrain inspired beam expander in line with the 20x150mm requirement requested for Phase 1 but focused on it's applicability, scalability, and manufacturability for the Phase II objective of a potential space based 0.5 m system with similar parameters. RMI will be leveraging it's current work on a system with similar requirements used by NASA that utilizes off-axis aspherical optics. These optics must be produced freeform by CNC systems (diamond turning) and are very labor intensive and aperture restricted in practice. By switching to a spherical design the cost, manufacturability, and physical scale of a system becomes far less restricted. Aberrations are controlled by selective use of refractive surfaces in combination with reflective ones to achieve a low dispersion (but correctible), athermalized, flight hardened, high-power ready optical system with looser alignment tolerances and more precisely manufacturable components. 

          

          

     

Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words):

Other groups within NASA are currently contracting with RMI to manufacture similar designs for aircraft based LiDAR applications. 

          

          

     

Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words):

A substantial opportunity for use in target marking and directed energy applications may exist outside NASA's use case. 

          

          

     

Duration:     6