Optical and system engineering in the development of a high-quality student telescope kit

Stephen M. Pompea; Richard N. Pfisterer; Scott Ellis; Douglas N. Arion; Richard Tresch Fienberg; Thomas C. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.858216

4 August 2010 Optical and system engineering in the development of a high-quality student telescope kit

Stephen M. Pompea, Richard N. Pfisterer, Scott Ellis, Douglas N. Arion, Richard Tresch Fienberg, Thomas C. Smith

Proceedings Volume 7738, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy IV; 773803 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858216
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Galileoscope student telescope kit was developed by a volunteer team of astronomers, science education experts, and optical engineers in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy 2009. This refracting telescope is in production with over 180,000 units produced and distributed with 25,000 units in production. The telescope was designed to be able to resolve the rings of Saturn and to be used in urban areas. The telescope system requirements, performance metrics, and architecture were established after an analysis of current inexpensive telescopes and student telescope kits. The optical design approaches used in the various prototypes and the optical system engineering tradeoffs will be described. Risk analysis, risk management, and change management were critical as was cost management since the final product was to cost around $15 (but had to perform as well as $100 telescopes). In the system engineering of the Galileoscope a variety of analysis and testing approaches were used, including stray light design and analysis using the powerful optical analysis program FRED™.

Citation Download Citation

Stephen M. Pompea, Richard N. Pfisterer, Scott Ellis, Douglas N. Arion, Richard Tresch Fienberg, and Thomas C. Smith "Optical and system engineering in the development of a high-quality student telescope kit", Proc. SPIE 7738, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy IV, 773803 (4 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858216

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