A Review of Lightweight Design for Space Mirror Core Structure: Tradition and Future

Abstract

With the continuous improvement of the imaging quality requirement of the space optical system, the large-aperture mirror becomes the research focus. However, the increase of the aperture will increase the whole weight which results in high launch cost and degrades the mirror surface figure accuracy. Therefore, the lightweight design method of the mirror structure is of great importance. In recent years, many space telescope system schemes have demonstrated the progress of the structural lightweight design of mirrors, such as Spitzer, SOFIA, JWST, etc. This article reviews the main content and innovations of the research on the structural designs of mirrors including conventional machining designs and topology optimization structures. Meanwhile, some emerging designs (e.g., lattices and Voronoi structures) considering additive manufacturing (AM) are also introduced. Several key elements of different structural design approaches for lightweight mirrors are discussed and compared, such as material, lightweight ratio, design methods, surface figure, etc. Finally, future challenges, trends, and prospects of lightweight design for mirrors are discussed. This article provides a reference for further related research and engineering applications.