Enrico Biancalani

Graduate Research Assistant Flute Optical Architectures (Niac Phase Ii Study) @NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

As the lead of “Objective 4: Optical chain modeling and simulation” for the FLUTE NIAC Phase II Study, my main contributions are, among others-> Introduced FLUTE’s corrective optics* and telescopic optical design, at different scales (FLUTE~1† and FLUTE~50)- Started a comparative sensitivity analysis between various (tentative) designs/versions -> Initiated FLUTE’s optical architecture framework: evolutionary vs revolutionary trade-off pathways - Set up a trade space over foldability vs focal ratio vs primary’s shape vs its liquid/solid state - Adopted a holistic approach to the telescope by considering corrector and instrumentation scaling - Proposed a science-driven intermediate mission in response to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey -> Mapped the historical macro-evolution trends of optical telescopes since their conception - Distinguished space-assembled from space-borne optical telescope macro-evolution trajectories -> Started FLUTE’s opto-fluidic modeling by connecting to the fluidic model of the primary mirror - Determined preliminary architecture-dependent slew rates throughout (liquid-phase) operations * Thus enabling diffraction-limited rather than aberration-dominated observational capabilities.† FLUTE~1 = Fluidic Telescope ~1 (m).