Peregrine Falcon Corporation

Optical Platform

Precision Optical Structure
Over 360 pounds of AlBeMet was precision machined at Peregrine and then metallurgically joined by our proprietary FUSED process to achieve a final weight of under 45 pounds. The structure is 24 inches in diameter with a height of 13 inches. Optical instruments are mounted to this spacecraft structure.

Antenna Hub Assembly

Antenna Strongbacks
Be-38Al's coefficient of thermal expansion is significantly closer to graphite epoxy's than aluminum's. Be-38Al can be readily used in these satellite applications. Here technicians are applying the finishing touches on several Be-38Al strongbacks.

Close-up of 23" Diameter CNC Milled and Assembled Strongback
This Be-38Al strongback is the primary structural member between a very large parabolic antenna dish and the satellite. Key critical dimensions were machined into this strongback in order to align the parabolic dish to the strongback and the strongback to the satellite.

Titanium Shelf Assembly

Shelf Bonded and Mechanically Assembled to Aluminum Support Struts
This 2' x 2' x 3' Titanium lightweight and high stiffness structure was designed to hang off the bus of a satellite. It acted as a shelf to mount additional instrumentation. Alloy steel pads were bonded into place at all bolt locations to uniformly distribute loads prior imparting them into the shelf.

Cold Cavity AVI Animation

Brazed Optical Housing and Baffle Assembly
Download the Cold Cavity Animation.
Format: AVI (MS Windows)
Size: 1,162KB

Bulkhead Assembly

Large Optical Support Structure
34" x 2.5" Primary optical support structure. This part was machined from a single piece of Beryllium. The standard Beryllium machining practices were employed of re-iterative machining, stress relieving, etching and dye penetrant inspection. In addition, thermal cycling was added to stabilize this support structure prior to integration.

Thermal Switch

High Vacuum Thermal Switch Used to Isolate Cryo-Coolers
3" diameter gas gap style Beryllium switch. Beryllium (part with 3 holes) is at the leading and trailing locations of this assembly. A stainless steel bellows provides a high vacuum seal. While a titanium post down the ID of this assembly maintains a constant gap at temperature between the leading and trailing surfaces of Beryllium. When the gas is evacuated, this assembly can provide as much as 1000¡ K of insulation from end to end per Watt of input heat.

Optical Platform
	Precision Optical Structure Over 360 pounds of AlBeMet was precision machined at Peregrine and then metallurgically joined by our proprietary FUSED process to achieve a final weight of under 45 pounds. The structure is 24 inches in diameter with a height of 13 inches. Optical instruments are mounted to this spacecraft structure.
Antenna Hub Assembly
	Antenna Strongbacks Be-38Al's coefficient of thermal expansion is significantly closer to graphite epoxy's than aluminum's. Be-38Al can be readily used in these satellite applications. Here technicians are applying the finishing touches on several Be-38Al strongbacks.
	Close-up of 23" Diameter CNC Milled and Assembled Strongback This Be-38Al strongback is the primary structural member between a very large parabolic antenna dish and the satellite. Key critical dimensions were machined into this strongback in order to align the parabolic dish to the strongback and the strongback to the satellite.
Titanium Shelf Assembly
	Shelf Bonded and Mechanically Assembled to Aluminum Support Struts This 2' x 2' x 3' Titanium lightweight and high stiffness structure was designed to hang off the bus of a satellite. It acted as a shelf to mount additional instrumentation. Alloy steel pads were bonded into place at all bolt locations to uniformly distribute loads prior imparting them into the shelf.
Cold Cavity AVI Animation
	Brazed Optical Housing and Baffle Assembly Download the Cold Cavity Animation. Format: AVI (MS Windows) Size: 1,162KB
Bulkhead Assembly
	Large Optical Support Structure 34" x 2.5" Primary optical support structure. This part was machined from a single piece of Beryllium. The standard Beryllium machining practices were employed of re-iterative machining, stress relieving, etching and dye penetrant inspection. In addition, thermal cycling was added to stabilize this support structure prior to integration.
Thermal Switch
	High Vacuum Thermal Switch Used to Isolate Cryo-Coolers 3" diameter gas gap style Beryllium switch. Beryllium (part with 3 holes) is at the leading and trailing locations of this assembly. A stainless steel bellows provides a high vacuum seal. While a titanium post down the ID of this assembly maintains a constant gap at temperature between the leading and trailing surfaces of Beryllium. When the gas is evacuated, this assembly can provide as much as 1000¡ K of insulation from end to end per Watt of input heat.