Small Mirrors for Small Satellites: Design of the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission CubeSat (DeMi) Payload

Ewan S. Douglas; Ewan S. Douglas; Greg Allan; Rachel Morgan; Bobby G. Holden; Jennifer Gubner; Christian Haughwout; Paula do Vale Pereira; Yinzi Xin; Yinzi Xin; John Merk; Kerri L. Cahoy; Kerri L. Cahoy

doi:10.3389/fspas.2021.676281

Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (Aug 2021)

Small Mirrors for Small Satellites: Design of the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission CubeSat (DeMi) Payload

Ewan S. Douglas,
Ewan S. Douglas,
Greg Allan,
Rachel Morgan,
Bobby G. Holden,
Jennifer Gubner,
Christian Haughwout,
Paula do Vale Pereira,
Yinzi Xin,
Yinzi Xin,
John Merk,
Kerri L. Cahoy,
Kerri L. Cahoy

Affiliations

Ewan S. Douglas: Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
Ewan S. Douglas: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Greg Allan: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Rachel Morgan: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Bobby G. Holden: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Jennifer Gubner: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Christian Haughwout: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Paula do Vale Pereira: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Yinzi Xin: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Yinzi Xin: Department of Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
John Merk: Aurora Flight Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States
Kerri L. Cahoy: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
Kerri L. Cahoy: Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.676281
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8

Abstract

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The Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission (DeMi) is a technology demonstration CubeSat to test a 140 actuator micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) deformable mirror in low-Earth orbit. Such mirrors can provide precise wavefront control with low size, weight, and power per actuator. Hence, they have the potential of improving contrast in coronagraphs on future space telescopes. In the DeMi payload, a Shack Hartmann lenslet array based wavefront sensor monitors the deformable mirror, illuminated by either an internal 636 nm laser diode or external starlight. This work describes the instrument design drivers and CubeSat implementation, and briefly illustrates operation on orbit by comparing ground-based measurements of a displaced actuator to an on-orbit measurement using the internal laser source. The 6U CubeSat was launched on February 25, 2020 and deployed from the International Space Station on July 13, 2020.

Published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

ISSN: 2296-987X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy; Science: Physics: Geophysics. Cosmic physics
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/astronomy-and-space-sciences

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