Automated Metrology and Fabrication System for the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility Mirrors

Abstract

The Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) contains nested sets of Wolter Type 1 x-ray telescopes. The high resolution optical performance required, coupled with the size of the mirrors, necessitates enormous quantities of data to characterize the optics. To this end, an automated metrology and fabrication data system was developed at Hughes Danbury Optical Systems (HDOS) under contract to TRW.