A Novel Method for Measurement and Alignment of Mirrored Surfaces
Presenter: Robert Elliott, Lockheed-Martin Technical Fellow
Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM
Location: A1100 Conference Room
Host: William Jansma, Senior Engineer, AES / MED / SA
Abstract:
Mirrored surfaces such as cubes and flat mirrors have been used to align spacecraft components for decades. These mirrored surfaces were initially measured with optical instruments and as technology advanced laser trackers have become an option for measuring these features. This presentation will describe how and why mirrored surfaces are used on spacecraft components, early measurement techniques and how mirrors are measured with a laser tracker. The advantages and disadvantages of the measurement methods will be discussed along with case studies that show schedule savings resulting from transitioning to modern tools. These methods may be directly applied in the measurement and alignment of X-ray optical mirror surfaces to improve accuracy and increase confidence in alignment results as well as reduce the time and effort needed to accomplish high-precision positioning of these components.