Custom Space Telescope Configurator
Home Telescope Configurator Equations Telescope Visualization

Welcome to the Custom Space Telescope Configurator

The purpose of the Space Telescope Configurator is to provide designers with an affordable and innovative alternative to traditional telescope development. The products we offer are customizable Cassegrain telescopes capable of self-coating their mirrors in space. While in-space coating has been demonstrated several times over the past 50 years, ZeCoat is reinventing the process with five breakthrough technologies that make it simpler, cleaner, and more effective.

Our new technologies include battery-powered deposition chambers, advanced EUV coatings, silicon cladding layers, black-coated baffles, and a micrometeoroid-protective shield. Together, these innovations eliminate the need for an oxide layer by allowing coatings to be applied directly in the vacuum of space. Without oxidation, telescopes can achieve unprecedented reflectivity—enabling missions that were once impossible, including those designed to observe extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths between 30-50 nm.

Select Desired Telescope Type

Primary Telescope Parameters

Range: 75mm to 650mm

Secondary Telescope Parameters

Range: 225mm to 2000mm Range: 675mm to 6000mm Range: 50mm to 450mm Range: 0 to 2 degrees

Customize Coatings

Estimated Price

$0.00

Submit Request

Equations Explained

1. Extension Factor (m)

m = Fsystem / Fprimary

How much the system focal length is extended by the secondary mirror.

2. Secondary to Primary Focus (A)

A = (F + b) / (m + 1)

Distance from the secondary mirror to the primary focus point.

3. System Focal Plane to Secondary (a)

a = m x A

Distance from the secondary mirror to the image plane.

4. Mirror Separation (B)

B = a - b

Physical separation between primary and secondary mirrors.

5. Radii of Curvature

R1 = 2 x F
R2 = (2 x A x m) / (m - 1)

Radii of curvature for the primary and secondary mirrors.

6. Conic Constants

K1 (Classical) = -1
K2 (Classical) = -[(4 x m) / (m - 1)²] - 1
K1 (Ritchey) = (-2 x (a / B)) / (m³) - 1
K2 (Ritchey) = ((-4 x m x (m - 1) - 2 x (m + (a / B))) / ((m - 1)³)) - 1

Describes the conic shape of the primary and secondary mirrors.

7. Coma Coefficient

coma (Classical) = 0.5
coma (Ritchey) = (m² /2 ) x ((1 / m²) - (1 + K1) x (B / (2 x B - R1)))

For the true Cassegrain Coma = 0.5, i.e. exactly the same as for a paraboloid of the same diameter .

8. Astigmatism Coefficient

astigmatism = m x [(2B - mR1) / ((2B - R1) x m²)]
astigmatism = m x [((2B - mR1) / (m²(2B-R1))) - (B / (2B-R1))² x (1 + K1)]

This coefficient quantifies how much astigmatism is introduced by the geometry of the mirror system.

9. Petzval Curvature

Petzval = m x [1 + (R1 x (m - 1)) / (m x (2B - R1))]

Petzval curvature represents the mean field curvature from both mirrors and affects how a flat image plane curves in space.

10. Field Curvature (COF)

Field Curvature (COF) = Petzval - 2 x astigmatism

The total field curvature, taking into account both Petzval and astigmatic effects. A positive curvature indicates a focal surface that is concave towards the incident light.

11. Coma and Astigmatism (Angular)

COMA = (3 / 8) x (D1 / Fsystem)² x coma x θ x 103132
ASTIG = (D1 / Fsystem) x θ² x astigmatism x (103132 / 4)

Conversion to arcseconds based on system geometry and field of view, θ (in radians).

12. Radius of Curvature of Field

RCOF = Fsystem / COF

How much the image plane curves due to field curvature aberration.

13. Secondary Mirror Axial Diameter

D2 = (D1 x A) / F

The physical diamter of the secondary mirror required to capture all the light reflected from the full aperature of the primary.

13. Secondary Mirror Optical Diameter

DOptical = θ x Fsystem

The diameter of the light cone from an off-axis object. Uses field angle θ (in radians).

14. Epsilon (Wavefront Error)

E1 = (b1 / 32) x (D1 / 2)⁴ / R1³
E2 = (b2 / 32) x (DOptical / 2)⁴ / R2³

The maximum surface deviation from the sphere is given by the above equation.

15. Edge Slope of Mirrors

θ1 = (b1 / 4) x (D1 / 2)³ / R1³
θ2 = (b2 / 4) x (DOptical / 2)³ / R2³

The slope at the edge relative to the sphere is given by the derivative of Eq. 14.

References

  1. Texereau, Jean. How to Make a Telescope. Richmond, VA: Willmann-Bell, 1984. A foundational manual for amateur telescope makers, including Newtonian and Cassegrainian design methods.
  2. http://bobmay.astronomy.net/CassNotes/cassformulas.htm - A technical summary of Cassegrain telescope formulas and constants, compiled by Bob May.

Telescope Visualization

0
Skip to Content
ZeCoat Corporation
Home
Coatings
About
Contact
Terms
Quality
Coating Stress Calculator
Battery-Powered Deposition
Telescope Design Calculator
Customer Login
ZeCoat Corporation
Home
Coatings
About
Contact
Terms
Quality
Coating Stress Calculator
Battery-Powered Deposition
Telescope Design Calculator
Customer Login
Home
Coatings
About
Contact
Terms
Quality
Coating Stress Calculator
Battery-Powered Deposition
Telescope Design Calculator
Customer Login

ZeCoat Corporation

1506 W 3rd St

Granite City, IL 62040

ZeCoat is an ITAR registered small business

Contacts

info@zecoat.com
(618)221-5053