The objective of this proposal is to develop the specific processes required to assemble and align an x-RAY spectrometer based on spos and critical angle transmission (CAT) gratings. Establishing…

This federal contract award to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, a division of the Smithsonian Institution, is focused on developing alignment techniques for x-ray gratings to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 for an x-ray spectrometer system. The objective is to establish a stable optical channel flight design and alignment procedures, assembling the system with surrogate and prototype optics, and subjecting it to environmental testing to validate performance. This $150,002.11 Cooperative Agreement is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support enabling technologies identified by the agency's Physics of the Cosmos program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has extensive experience as a prime contractor and subcontractor providing specialized optics, instrumentation, and research to NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for space missions and scientific investigations.

The objective of this proposal is to develop the specific processes required to assemble and align an x-RAY spectrometer based on spos and critical angle transmission (CAT) gratings. Establishing TRL 6 involves developing a stable optical channel flight design, along with a set of alignment procedures. We will assemble the channel with a set of surrogate spos and surrogate gratings. Then the appropriate environmental loads will be applied to the system to determine if the system has remained stable. Several of the surrogate spos and the associated surrogate gratings will then be removed, and replaced by prototype spos and gratings which will be aligned and subject to a repeat of the previous set of environmental tests. The x-RAY performance of the aligned optics will be tested both before and after the environmental tests. High-efficiency high-resolution x-RAY gratings have been identified as a key enabling technology by the NASA physics of the cosmos office as part of their annual technology review. These techniques will be required in order to use the technology in a future satellite mission.