SALTUS Probe Class Space Mission: Enabled by 20-m Inflatable Mirror

Abstract

SALTUS (Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies) is a mid/far-infrared telescope concept utilizing a 20-m scale inflatable mirror antenna. The light-weight mirror utilizes a membrane architecture that has been developed and characterized specifically for space-based applications. The telescope's end-to-end optical design and optimization process unleashes the unprecedented photon collecting power of a large space aperture. A series of inflatable mirror prototypes have been designed, manufactured, and tested. These tests confirmed the optical performance of the apertures under space-like conditions. This paradigm changing approach will allow the realization of a new generation of space telescopes far larger than can be achieved utilizing conventional technologies.