Approaches to developing tolerance and error budget for active three mirror anastigmat space telescopes

The size of the optics used in observatories is often limited by fabrication, metrology, and handling technology, but having a large primary mirror provides significant benefits for scientific research. The evolution of rocket launch options enables heavy payload carrying on orbit and outstretching the telescope’s form-factor choices. Moreover, cost per launch is lower than the traditional flight method, which is obviously advantageous for various novel space observatory concepts. The University of Arizona has successfully fabricated many large-scale primary optics for ground-based observatories including the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT, 8.4 meter diameter two primary mirrors), Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (now renamed to Vera C. Rubin Observatory, 8.4 meter diameter monolithic primary and tertiary mirror), and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT, 8.4 meter diameter primary mirror seven segments). Launching a monolithic primary mirror into space could bypass many of the difficulties encountered during the assembly and deployment of the segmented primary mirrors. However, it might bring up unprecedented challenges and hurdles, also. We explore and foresee the expected challenges and evaluate them. To estimate the tolerance and optical error budget of a large optical system in space such as three mirror anastigmat telescope, we have developed a methodology that considers various errors from design, fabrication, assembly, and environmental factors.