Implementation of the design for manufacturability of spaceborne telescope for remote sensing instruments in the FORMOSA-8 satellite program

This paper presents the implementation of the design for manufacturability (DfM) methodologies and considerations in the development of a spaceborne telescope designed for remote sensing instruments (RSI) as part of the FORMOSA-8 satellite program. The study focuses on optimizing the telescope design to balance optical performance with limitations of manufacturability and challenges of specification constraints. A critical aspect of this process involves conducting a detailed tolerance sensitivity analysis across various system aperture sizes and ensuring traceability in measuring the performance of assembling and aligning lens elements. This approach evaluates the impact on key performance metrics, including wave front error (WFE), modulation transfer function (MTF), and the alignment performance of optical components. The methodologies developed were applied to the FORMOSA-8X satellite constellation, resulting in significant improvements during the assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) phases. The successful design balances manufacturability and performance, achieving the desired outcomes in the first iteration as result in doing design right the first time. Additionally, this paper explores the trade-offs encountered during the design process and offers recommendations for optimizing DfM in spaceborne telescopes. The paper also details the development of a spaceborne Ritchey-Chrétien telescope with corrector lens design, emphasizing the challenges related to specification requirements, the manufacturing process, and innovative solutions employed. The key factors, such as tolerance sensitivity, alignment accuracy, and environmental considerations, are addressed. The implications of these trade-offs design methodologies for future spaceborne catadioptric optical systems are discussed, including a review of the telescope's integration and testing for the FORMOSA-8X satellite program.