Dimensional stability testing in thermal vacuum of the CHEOPS optical telescope assembly

The CHEOPS mission (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is dedicated to searching for exoplanetary transits by performing ultra-high precision photometry on bright stars already known to host planets. A 32cm diameter on-axis Ritchey-Chrétien telescope is used for imaging onto a single cooled detector. With integration times up to 48 hours the...

High-strain-rate tensile mechanical response of a polyurethane elastomeric material

The dynamic tensile mechanical response of a soft polymer material (Clear Flex 75) is investigated using a split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB). Stress-strain relations are derived to reveal the mechanical properties at moderate and high strain rates. These relations appear to be rate dependent. Under static loading, the polymer exhibits an...