RC1000 OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY

• Aperture and Focal Length: Features a 1-meter aperture and a 12240 mm focal length at an f/12.2 ratio, perfect for high-resolution imaging and exhaustive scientific observations.
• Ritchey-Chrétien Optical Design: Utilizes a classical RC design with minimal central obstruction, improving image contrast and minimizing diffraction spikes for more defined and detailed celestial imaging.
• Dual Nasmyth Focus Capability: Equipped with dual Nasmyth focus ports that accommodate heavy instrumentation, enhanced by a controllable tertiary mirror for rapid switching between different instruments or cameras.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE MOUNTING SYSTEM

• Direct Drive Motors: Employs cutting-edge direct-drive motors that provide smooth, fast, and near-silent slewing at up to 50 degrees per second, ensuring zero backlash and zero periodic error, perfect for exact tracking and quick repositioning.
• High-Resolution Encoders: Comes with on-axis 26-bit absolute encoders on each axis for extraordinarily precise pointing and tracking, essential for stable tracking of low Earth orbit satellites.
• Advanced Tertiary Mirror System: Features a software-controlled rotating tertiary mirror which simplifies the process of switching between multiple instruments and observational setups without the need for rebalancing or refocusing.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

ASTRONOMY RESEARCH

FREE-SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION (FSOC)

OPTICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Aperture: 1000 mm (39.37 in)
Focal Length: 12,200 mm
Focal ratio: f/12.2
Central Obstruction: 27% of the Primary Mirror Diameter
Back Focus: 578 mm (22.75 inches)
Weight: 3,650 lb.
Optimal Field of View: 64 mm (0.3 degrees)

MECHANICAL STRUCTURE

Fork Assembly: Space frame steel truss
Fork Base: Welded stainless steel torsion box
Azimuth Bearing: Dual 11.125 inch tapered roller bearings
Altitude Bearing: Three 9.5 inch 4 way loaded ball bearings; two pre-loaded on the motor side and one on the non-motor side
Optical Tube: Dual truss structure with Nasmyth focus
Instrument Payload: 300 lb. (150 ft-lb) mounted on the field de-rotator plate

MOTION CONTROL

Motor – Azimuth and Altitude: Direct Drive 3 Phase Axial-Flux Torque Motor
Encoder – Azimuth and Altitude: Absolute encoder with a resolution of 0.005 arcseconds
Motor Torque: Greater than 200 ft-lbs of peak torque
Drive Electronics: Controls the altitude and azimuth motors and encoders, 2 direct drive de-rotators with absolute encoders, 4 fans zones, 3 dew heater zones, two focusers, an array of temperature sensors, M3 port selector, primary mirror covers and magnetic axis deceleration
Telescope Control Software: PlaneWave Interface 4 (PWI4) Software. Incorporates PointXP mount modeling software and All Sky PlateSolve, both by Dave Rowe. Also includes automatic focusing, dew heater control, primary mirror cover control, and dome control and provides HTTP and ASCOM control interfaces. Linux and Windows compatible. MaxIm DL is required for camera control when building a pointing model within the PWI4 software.

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Pointing Accuracy: Better than 10 arcsecond RMS with PointXP Model
Pointing Precision: 2 arcseconds at sidereal velocity
Tracking Accuracy: <1 arcsecond over a 10-minute period at sidereal velocity
System Natural Frequency: 10 Hz or greater
Field De-Rotator Accuracy: < 3 microns of peak-to-peak error at 35mm off-axis over 1 hour of tracking (18 arc sec)

INCLUDED ITEMS

Actuator Mirror Shutters: Automated shutters to protect the primary mirror and inside of the optical tube
Heating elements for dew prevention: Integrated heating pads on the primary and secondary mirror