Multilevel microvibration test for performance predictions of a space optical load platform

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft Engineering
• Optical Systems
• Vibration Analysis

Background:

• Space optical platforms require stringent vibration control.
• Microvibrations can degrade optical performance in high-resolution imaging systems.
• Existing analysis methods may not fully capture multilevel vibration propagation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a multilevel framework for microvibration analysis and testing of space optical load platforms.
• To investigate the vibration mechanisms and transfer characteristics from disturbance sources to optical outputs.
• To assess the impact of disturbance source location on overall spacecraft performance.

Main Methods:

• A three-level test framework: instrument, subsystem, and system levels.
• Experimental investigation of disturbance sources to determine vibration amplitude and mechanisms.
• Subsystem testing to validate transfer functions from disturbance sources to optical performance.
• System-level microvibration measurement and analysis (time and spectrum domain).

Main Results:

• Disturbance source position critically influences its effect on spacecraft performance.
• Mechanical links effectively reduce residual vibrations to background noise levels.
• Angular microvibration (platform jitter) is predominantly concentrated in y-axis rotation.

Conclusions:

• The developed multilevel framework provides a comprehensive approach to microvibration analysis for space optical platforms.
• Understanding vibration transfer characteristics is crucial for mitigating performance degradation.
• The findings are directly applicable to real-world systems like high-resolution satellite cameras.