Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope: science drivers and technology developments

Marc Postman; Thomas M. Brown; Kenneth R. Sembach; Jason Tumlinson; C. Matt Mountain; Rémi Soummer; Mauro Giavalisco; Daniela Calzetti; Wesley Traub; Karl R. Stapelfeldt; William R. Oegerle; Tristram T. Hyde; Robert M. Rich; H. Philip Stahl

doi:10.1117/1.OE.51.1.011007

20 January 2012 Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope: science drivers and technology developments

Marc Postman, Thomas M. Brown, Kenneth R. Sembach, Jason Tumlinson, C. Matt Mountain, Rémi Soummer, Mauro Giavalisco, Daniela Calzetti, Wesley Traub, Karl R. Stapelfeldt, William R. Oegerle, Tristram T. Hyde, Robert M. Rich, H. Philip Stahl

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 51, Issue 1, 011007 (January 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.1.011007

Abstract

The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) is a concept for an 8- to 16-m ultraviolet optical near infrared space observatory for launch in the 2025 to 2030 era. ATLAST will allow astronomers to answer fundamental questions at the forefront of modern astrophysics, including: Is there life elsewhere in the Galaxy? We present a range of science drivers and the resulting performance requirements for ATLAST (8- to 16-marcsec angular resolution, diffraction limited imaging at 0.5-μm wavelength, minimum collecting area of 45 m², high sensitivity to light wavelengths from 0.1 to 2.4 μm, high stability in wavefront sensing and control). We also discuss the priorities for technology development needed to enable the construction of ATLAST for a cost that is comparable to that of current generation observatory-class space missions.

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Marc Postman, Thomas M. Brown, Kenneth R. Sembach, Jason Tumlinson, C. Matt Mountain, Rémi Soummer, Mauro Giavalisco, Daniela Calzetti, Wesley Traub, Karl R. Stapelfeldt, William R. Oegerle, Tristram T. Hyde, Robert M. Rich, and H. Philip Stahl "Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope: science drivers and technology developments," Optical Engineering 51(1), 011007 (20 January 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.1.011007

Published: 20 January 2012

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