Development of the Next Generation Microshutter Arrays for Space Telescope Applications

We present the first space flight use of the electrostatically actuated Next Generation MicroShutter Array systems (NGMSA) as multiple celestial object selectors developed for NASA space telescope missions at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The NGMSA assembly was installed in the Next Generation Far-ultraviolet Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (NG-FORTIS) and successfully launched recently from the White Sands Missile Range in October 2019. We started to investigate this electrostatic NGMSA technology at the late stages of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2009 to strategically align with requirements of larger field of view for future telescopes in space. The NGMSA in NG-FORTIS is a 128 X 64 programable 2-D addressing microfabricated shutter array while the current NGMSA system under development is a 736 X 384 large format. The new microshutter array (MSA) features several unique designs aiming at performance improvements: electrostatic actuation, thinned microshutters, better electrical wall insulation and anti-stiction surface coating. To ensure reliable operation in the space environment, NGMSA systems have passed a series of critical environment tests including acoustic, random vibration, life cycle of operation, thermal cycling, and optical contrast tests. The successful launch of the NG-FORTIS sounding rocket equipped with NGMSA demonstrates our NGMSA technology have achieved the highest NASA Technical Readiness Level 9 for sounding rocket space applications.