The telescope assembly of the Ariel space mission: an updated overview

Emanuele Pace; Manuel Adler Abreu; Gustavo Alonso; Bruno Barroqueiro; Andrea Bocchieri; Daniele Brienza; Anna Brucalassi; Paolo Chioetto; Carlos Compostizo; Fausto Cortecchia; Fabio D'Anca; Ciro Del Vecchio; Emiliano Diolaiti; Paul Eccleston; Salma Fahmy; Jose Fernandes; Alejandro Fernandez Soler; Debora Ferruzzi; Mauro Focardi; Sara Freitas; Camille Galy; Laura Garcia Moreno; Andres Garcia Perez; Daniele Gottini; Elisa Guerriero; Jean-Philippe Halain; Marie-Laure Hellin; Delphine Jollet; Riccardo Lilli; Giuseppe Malaguti; Laura Martì; Alexandra Mazzoli; Giuseppina Micela; Gianluca Morgante; Luca Naponiello; Vladimiro Noce; Enzo Pascale; Javier Perez Alvarez; Raffaele Piazzolla; Paolo Picchi; Giampaolo Preti; Stephane Roose; Mario Salatti; Jean-Christophe Salvignol; Antonio Scippa; Christophe Serre; Luca Terenzi; Giovanna Tinetti; Elisabetta Tommasi Di Vignano; Andrea Tozzi; Bart Vandenbussche; Paola Zuppella

doi:10.1117/12.3018735

23 August 2024 The telescope assembly of the Ariel space mission: an updated overview

Emanuele Pace, Manuel Adler Abreu, Gustavo Alonso, Bruno Barroqueiro, Andrea Bocchieri, Daniele Brienza, Anna Brucalassi, Paolo Chioetto, Carlos Compostizo, Fausto Cortecchia, Fabio D'Anca, Ciro Del Vecchio, Emiliano Diolaiti, Paul Eccleston, Salma Fahmy, Jose Fernandes, Alejandro Fernandez Soler, Debora Ferruzzi, Mauro Focardi, Sara Freitas, Camille Galy, Laura Garcia Moreno, Andres Garcia Perez, Daniele Gottini, Elisa Guerriero, Jean-Philippe Halain, Marie-Laure Hellin, Delphine Jollet, Riccardo Lilli, Giuseppe Malaguti, Laura Martì, Alexandra Mazzoli, Giuseppina Micela, Gianluca Morgante, Luca Naponiello, Vladimiro Noce, Enzo Pascale, Javier Perez Alvarez, Raffaele Piazzolla, Paolo Picchi, Giampaolo Preti, Stephane Roose, Mario Salatti, Jean-Christophe Salvignol, Antonio Scippa, Christophe Serre, Luca Terenzi, Giovanna Tinetti, Elisabetta Tommasi Di Vignano, Andrea Tozzi, Bart Vandenbussche, Paola Zuppella

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13092, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 130921C (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018735
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

Ariel (Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large Survey) is the adopted M4 mission in the framework of the ESA “Cosmic Vision” program. Its purpose is to survey the atmospheres of known exoplanets through transit spectroscopy. The launch is scheduled for 2029. The scientific payload consists of an off-axis, unobscured Cassegrain telescope feeding a set of photometers and spectrometers in the waveband 0.5-7.8 µm and operating at cryogenic temperatures (55 K). The Telescope Assembly is based on an innovative fully aluminium design to tolerate thermal variations to avoid impacts on the optical performance; it consists of a primary parabolic mirror with an elliptical aperture of 1.1 m (the major axis), followed by a hyperbolic secondary that is mounted on a refocusing system, a parabolic re-collimating tertiary and a flat folding mirror directing the output beam parallel to the optical bench. An innovative mounting system based on 3 flexure hinges supports the primary mirror on one of the optical bench sides. The instrument bay on the other side of the optical bench houses the Ariel IR Spectrometer (AIRS) and the Fine Guidance System / NIR Spectrometer (FGS/NIRSpec). The Telescope Assembly is in phase B2 towards the Critical Design Review; the fabrication of the structural and engineering models has started; some components, i.e., the primary mirror and its mounting system are undergoing further qualification activities. This paper aims to update the scientific community on the progress concerning the development, manufacturing and qualification activity of the ARIEL Telescope Assembly.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Emanuele Pace, Manuel Adler Abreu, Gustavo Alonso, Bruno Barroqueiro, Andrea Bocchieri, Daniele Brienza, Anna Brucalassi, Paolo Chioetto, Carlos Compostizo, Fausto Cortecchia, Fabio D'Anca, Ciro Del Vecchio, Emiliano Diolaiti, Paul Eccleston, Salma Fahmy, Jose Fernandes, Alejandro Fernandez Soler, Debora Ferruzzi, Mauro Focardi, Sara Freitas, Camille Galy, Laura Garcia Moreno, Andres Garcia Perez, Daniele Gottini, Elisa Guerriero, Jean-Philippe Halain, Marie-Laure Hellin, Delphine Jollet, Riccardo Lilli, Giuseppe Malaguti, Laura Martì, Alexandra Mazzoli, Giuseppina Micela, Gianluca Morgante, Luca Naponiello, Vladimiro Noce, Enzo Pascale, Javier Perez Alvarez, Raffaele Piazzolla, Paolo Picchi, Giampaolo Preti, Stephane Roose, Mario Salatti, Jean-Christophe Salvignol, Antonio Scippa, Christophe Serre, Luca Terenzi, Giovanna Tinetti, Elisabetta Tommasi Di Vignano, Andrea Tozzi, Bart Vandenbussche, and Paola Zuppella "The telescope assembly of the Ariel space mission: an updated overview", Proc. SPIE 13092, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 130921C (23 August 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018735

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