Under a Phase II SBIR contract with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Michigan Aerospace Corporation
designed, built and tested a Lightweight Tunable Infrared Filter (LTIF) that consisted of a tunable etalon made of silicon
carbide components (except for the etalon plates themselves and small Invar inserts for fastener threads). This effort
also developed a digital etalon controller, a fundamental element in all subsequent MAC tunable etalon systems. The testing
effort included optical characterization in both thermally-stable and dynamic environments and vibration testing for
spaceflight qualification (to Delta II launch specifications). The diagram below has exploded and fused view of the
silicon carbide elements of the mount/base ring subassembly of the etalon. The etalon was delivered to NASA in January
2008.
Exploded and fused views of LTIF silicon carbide mount/base ring subassembly
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