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Starshade Membrane Coatings
Black coating engineered for straylight suppression and contrast control across the visible to infrared spectrum. We optimized the roll-to-roll coating design for the 400–800 nm band; the coating may also be optimized for the UV or longer IR bands. The image shows the roll-to-roll coating.
SBIR Contracts & Publications
- Radiation-Hardened Dark Coating for Stray-Light Suppression — MDA SBIR Phase II, 2024
- Radiation-Hardened Dark Coating for Stray-Light Suppression — MDA SBIR Phase I, 2022
- Dark Coatings with Tailorable BRDF and Thermal Emissivity for Light-Blocking Starshade Membranes — NASA SBIR Phase II, 2021
- Specular Black Coating for Flexible Starshade Optical Shield — NASA SBIR Phase I, 2020
- Antireflection coatings on starshade light-blocking membranes for straylight suppression
Reflectance by Band
| Band | Batch Coating | Roll-to-Roll Coating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. | Max | Avg. | Max | |
| 400-450 nm | 1.4% | 3.1% | 1.5% | 2.9% |
| 450-500 nm | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| 500-550 nm | 0.2% | 0.3% | 1.3% | 2.0% |
| 550-600 nm | 0.2% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 1.7% |
| 600-650 nm | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| 650-700 nm | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 1.5% |
| 700-750 nm | 0.2% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| 750-800 nm | 0.4% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| 800-850 nm | 0.8% | 1.3% | — | — |
| 850-900 nm | 1.4% | 2.2% | — | — |
| 900-950 nm | 2.2% | 3.2% | — | — |
| 950-1000 nm | 3.3% | 4.5% | — | — |
* All measurements are hemispherical reflectance.
Environmental Durability
| Test | Specification | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesion | MIL-PRF-13830B | Slow-pull, 90-deg |
| Abrasion | MIL-PRF-13830B | Moderate cheesecloth, 50 strokes |
| 24-hr Humidity | MIL-PRF-13830B | 50C/95%/24-hr |
| Thermal Cycle | ZeCoat Modified 13830B B.4.4.4 | +74 C / -37 C |