GLAS Laser Pickoff System

Challenges and lessons learned

This project was our first long-term, critical path project. If this system failed, the spacecraft would not have a start pulse and therefore no data could be taken. The entire system was built and tested without a full engineering model. The design went straight from computer to fabrication, then to testing, and finally to integration with the space flight instrument without significant rebuilds or redesigns.

Only one component did not perform as expected during the initial design. The original design for the laser pickoff optic mount did not provide adequate support and the optic was damaged during a component-level vibration test. The contact pads were too small and located too close to the edge of the optic. Two new designs were created—a bonded approach and an improved clamped design. The bonded design survived vibration and thermal testing and remained aligned to less than the measuring equipment resolution of 3 arcseconds. This was the simpler redesign so the clamped design was never built.

This project taught the importance of understanding environmental testing requirements and what the test is trying to simulate. We learned how vibration testing attempts to simulate launch environments, and we pushed for more realistic testing criteria to be developed to prevent damaging the hardware. This approach allowed the team to build one assembly, test it to appropriate levels, and deliver a flight Laser Pick-off System to the GLAS instrument without costly engineering units.

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