Ed Balaban | FLUTE (Fluidic Telescope): From Puddles to Giant Space Observatories
Foresight Institute’s Space Group
FLUTE (Fluidic Telescope): From Puddles to Giant Space Observatories
Abstract: The future of space-based UV/optical/IR astronomy requires ever larger telescopes. The highest priority astrophysics targets — including Earth-like exoplanets, first generation stars, and early galaxies — are all very faint, which presents a challenge for current and next generation telescopes. Larger telescopes are the primary (if not only) way to address this issue. With mission costs depending strongly on aperture diameter, scaling current space telescope technologies to aperture sizes exceeding 10 meters does not appear economically viable.
The NASA FLUTE (Fluidic Telescope) project proposes to overcome the current scaling limitations for space optics via a novel approach based on fluidic shaping in microgravity. This technique has already been successfully demonstrated in a laboratory neutral buoyancy environment, in parabolic microgravity flights, and aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In this talk, Dr. Edward Balaban will present the results to date and outline the work in progress, including technology maturation experiments and FLUTE mission concepts under development.
Bio:
Dr. Edward Balaban is a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center and is the Principal Investigator for FLUTE project. His professional interests include robotics, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and development of innovative space missions.
In addition to FLUTE, Ed is the lead for strategic mission planning on NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission and a member of VIPER’s Science and Mission Operations teams. He is also involved in planning lunar surface operations on the Artemis program and the CT-4/IM-5 mission. Ed leads the Health-Aware Decision Making Group within the Intelligent Systems Division of NASA Ames and serves as the Principal Investigator for SHERPA (System Health Enabled Realtime Planning Advisor), an artificial intelligence system for space mission planning and execution support. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from The George Washington University, a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.
What is the Fluidic Telescope? - NASA
Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the Next Generation of Large Space Observatories - NASA
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