Commercial Fast-Steering Mirrors

Commercial Fast-steering Mirrors (FSM) can be used to perform a variety of functions, including tracking, scanning, pointing, beam stabilization, and alignment. They have become key components in diverse applications such as industrial instrumentation, astronomy, laser communications, imaging systems, experimental optical bench setups, and internal research and development projects.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully refined its FSM technology during the past 15 years. This has resulted in advances in the mirror, the motors that move it, the feedback sensors that determine mirror position, the control system that connects the feedback sensors used to determine mirror position, and the control system that connects the feedback sensors in the motors.

Ball's design features a unique flexure suspension that avoids transferring the forces of dissimilar metal expansion to the mirror surface figure. A noncontacting sensor system measures mirror angular displacement. This provides a highly linear relationship between the geometrical displacement and sensor signal.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., 1600 Commerce Street, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: 303-939-6100; Fax: 303-939-6104.