NASA is advancing the development of the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope by completing a series of rigorous environmental tests on its sunshield system, called the Deployable Aperture Cover(DAC). This device is specifically designed to protect the telescope from “unwanted light” and ensure the clarity of observations in space. These tests are important for the final phase of sunshield evaluations, bringing the project closer to the stage of integration with Roman’s other subsystems, scheduled for next fall.
Nancy Grace Roman space telescope tests
The sunshield, created at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is distinguished by its innovative design. Unlike the rigid covers used on earlier telescopes such as Hubble, the DAC is composed of two layers of reinforced thermal blankets. During launch, it will remain folded and, once in space, will be deployed by a set of three electronically activated arms. This feature is especially challenging to model and predict, as explained by Matthew Neuman, mechanical engineer for the project at Goddardwho stressed the importance of physical testing to confirm the system’s functionality.
In its first environmental test, the sunshield was subjected to conditions that emulate the space environment inside NASA’s Goddard Space Environment Simulator. This simulator, a chamber that can reach extremely low pressures and a wide range of temperatures, allowed technicians to replicate the conditions that the DAC will experience once in orbit.
During the test, the sunshield was exposed to extremely cold temperatures, dropping to minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit(minus 70 degrees Celsius), ensuring that the device would function even in unexpectedly severe circumstances. At the end of the test, technicians activated its deployment, and within approximately one minute, the sunshield successfully deployed, demonstrating its robustness in a simulated space environment.
These tests were considered the most challenging by the engineering team. According to Brian Simpson, project design lead at Goddard, one of the biggest fears was that the sunshield material would freeze, preventing proper deployment, which would compromise the telescope’s mission. A partial or failed deployment of the sunshield could have had serious consequences, blocking the telescope’s view and limiting the mission’s science capabilities.
After passing the thermal vacuum test, the parasol was subjected to an acoustic evaluation, designed to simulate the intense noise and vibrations it will experience during launch. During this test, the device, still folded, was placed in an acoustic chamber equipped with giant speakers and microphones to monitor sound levels. Technicians increased the noise level to a maximum of 138 decibels, an intensity comparable to the takeoff of a jet plane. The result was successful, with the sunshield withstanding the test without structural damage.
The hardware of the Roman space telescope. Source: NASA Goddard
Furthermore, Brian Simpson highlighted the team’s satisfaction at the completion of this critical testing phase. After nearly a year spent building the flight assembly, the team is now moving into the final stages of the project. These final evaluations will focus on measuring the natural frequency of the sunshield and its response to launch vibrations. Once completed, the drop-down aperture canopy will be integrated with the external cannon and solar panel sunshield.
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Source and photo: NASA
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