Long exposure observations from spacecraft require a highly stable platform with precise line-of-sight pointing for a variety of missions. A particularly demanding example is the Habitable Worlds Observatory recommended by the Astrophysics 2020 Decadal Survey which requires unprecedented stability and pointing accuracy. New solutions to isolate precision optical payloads from spacecraft vibration sources are needed. To meet these challenging dynamic stability requirements, Lockheed Martin ATC has developed a non-contact vibration isolation architecture called the Disturbance Free Payload (DFP). This system provides an ideal non-contact state (with only residual coupling from power and data cables and actuator effects) while allowing for the necessary degree of rigid-body payload control to meet required telescope pointing and system line-of-sight (LOS) agility. The DFP architecture concept, performance predictions for a large observatory, additional applications for DFP and the technology maturation plan will be presented.

Biography:

Dr. Alison Nordt
Dr. Alison Nordt is the Director for Space Science and Instrumentation at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center. She is responsible for developing and operating missions that provide observational data to advance space science knowledge. Her work involves maturing technology to support current and future space-based telescopes and instruments. She is currently the Principal Investigator for TechMAST (Technology Maturation for Astrophysics Space Telescopes) and related internal research and development efforts. Previously, Dr. Nordt was the senior manager for Astrophysics and held several roles on the NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera for the Webb Telescope) program including Program Manager, Integrated Product Team Lead and Principal Engineer. Dr. Nordt holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. She is an AIAA Associate Fellow and the 2023 AIAA Engineer of the Year and a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.