The Ultraviolet Micromirror Imaging Spectrograph (UMIS) will be the first UV integral field spectrograph (IFS) to use micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) micromirrors, specifically in the form of two-axis analog micromirror arrays (AMAs). This novel application of AMAs will increase both the flexibility and spectral multiplexing efficiency of UMIS relative to currently available instruments. AMAs are already a widely used technology in telecommunications; this study investigated and proved their suitability for high performance scientific instrumentation. Suitability was determined through evaluation of the individual micromirror component on a custom optical bench set up. The following metrics were evaluated: temporal stability, thermal drift and stability, large-scale linear response and pointing precision. The tests demonstrated that under conditions of 20C - 40C the micromirror's temporal stability, thermal stability, large-scale linear response and pointing precision were stable within the required range. The micromirror's performance, as measured in this experiment, meets the requirements specified in UMIS design and indicates feasibility for future flight instruments. We present the experiment test setup and results in the context of the development of the UMIS testbed instrument.
Slated to launch in early 2023, Supernova Remnants and Proxies for Re-Ionization Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) is the first NASA funded 12U astrophysics CubeSat payload and the first orbital astrophysics instrument to operate in the windowless Far-ultraviolet (1000 - 1750 Å) since the deployment of HST-COS. SPRITE is an imaging spectrograph with 10 arcsecond angular resolution, breaking new ground with scientific observations enabled by a compact microchannel plate detector system and advanced protected eLiF mirror coatings baselined for the LUVOIR Surveyor. To provide flexibility and customizability the spacecraft bus and spectrograph are all being designed in house at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. SPRITE features several unique mechanical subsystems such as the pump/purge system for the hermetically sealed detector housing, the release mechanism for the detector door, the release mechanism for the solar array, the solar panel design, and compact rectangular telescope. SPRITE's mechanical design meets all science requirements, the CubeSat specific requirements of commercial 12U dispenser systems, and NASA orbital debris limits. We present an overview of the design and development of the mechanical systems and mechanisms for SPRITE prior to the comprehensive design review (CDR).
Improving the spectral multiplexing efficiency of ultraviolet (UV) instruments is one of the essential technology developments for future large missions. This is particularly hard in the far UV (FUV), where high reflectivity coatings and high material transmission are difficult to achieve. We present here the concept and design of the Ultraviolet Micromirror Imaging Spectrograph (UMIS), which utilizes Analog Micromirror Arrays (AMAs) as the spectral multiplexing element. These Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MOEMS)-based mirrors can be dynamically programmed to probe multiple points of interest across a wide field of view without spectral confusion limitations. We have assembled a benchtop version of UMIS, to characterize the individual arrays and to evaluate the performance of the overall system in optical and FUV wavelengths. The instrument consists of a 75 cm off-axis telescope, with two AMAs placed on either side of the focal plane, and an optical spectrograph with a resolution of about R=1000. The individual mirror orientations can be adjusted by varying their bias voltages, which are controlled using custom electronic boards designed and fabricated by Ball Aerospace and LASP. The same testbed will be reconfigured with an FUV grating and detector, to calibrate the instrument in a vacuum environment and qualify the AMAs for future flight missions.
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