A new coating technology for the production of optical mirrors with at least 80% less mass than conventional systems.
Optical mirrors for space are massive constructions due to the high density of the materials employed [metal and/or ceramics). For this reason, CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) and a new coating technique were used to produce optical mirrors with a mass that is at least 80 % lower than that of conventional systems.
The basis for this is a metallization process developed for CFRP. In this process, flat samples are chemically pickled using a special procedure and then galvanically nickel-plated. The nickel surface is turned to mirror quality using the UPD process (ultra-precise turning]. In the next step, parabolic mirrors with a diameter of approx. 30 cm are produced and nickel-plated. Before the UPD process, the mirror is measured to rule out deformations caused by internal stresses.
PLIK