Publications Details
Predicted optical performance of the high-altitude balloon experiment (HABE) telescope in an adverse thermal environment
The High-Altitude Balloon Experiment (HABE) telescope was designed to operate at an ambient temperature of {minus}55 C and an altitude of 26 km, using a precooled primary mirror. Although at this altitude the air density is only 1.4 percent of the value at sea level, the temperature gradients within the telescope are high enough to deform the optical wavefront. This problem is considerably lessened by precooling the primary mirror to {minus}35 C. This paper describes the application of several codes to determine the range of wavefront deformation during a mission.