Enhanced vacuum surface gauge testbed for next-generation space coronagraph deformable mirror testing

Deformable mirrors (DMs) with picometer-level surface control accuracy are essential for the Habitable World Observatory's coronagraph performance. While the current vacuum surface gauge (VSG2) testbed meets requirements for the Roman Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), an order of magnitude improvement is needed to test DMs for HWO coronagraph technology development. We are upgrading the VSG2 with a high-speed metrology sensor, a Zernike wavefront sensor, and enhanced thermal control. We will present VSG2 upgrade status and initial evaluation results, including the calibration of a High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) deformable mirror.