Fiber Support Technology^TM

Related Information

• FiST printable brochure
• SABER - spacedynamics.org

Sales Information

• For sales information contact us

Fiber Support Technology (FiST) provides a significantly better way of mechanically supporting and thermally isolating a component than competing technologies. This technology is used in applications wherever critical components require both extreme thermal isolation and mechanical stability as needed in a broad array of commercial imaging systems.

Applications

• Thermal isolation
• Infrared imaging
• Military vehicles
• Security systems
• Aircraft
• Missiles
• Medical imaging
• Cryogenics
• Space fuel silos

TMT's advanced cryo-mechanical mounting technology, FiST, uses high performance fibers in tension to mechanically support and thermally isolate cooled components from warm environments. Opto-thermal testing demonstrated that FiST outperforms the conventional mounting approach thermally, mechanically, and optically. Extensive qualification testing shows that the FiST mounting structure is mechanically and optically robust, and provides superior thermal isolation compared to conventional mounting approaches. FiST was initially developed to support the focal plane assembly for TMT's SABER flight experiment which, after two years on orbit, has performed flawlessly.

FiST Sample Performance Characteristics

• Conduction through structure: 5-10 mW
• Total parasitic heat loads: 150-300 mW (surface dependent)
• Mass: 150-400 grams for support structure (application specific)
• Fundamental frequencies of FiST structures: 600-700 Hz typical
• Optical stability: on the order of 1 arcsec.

Focal Plane Assembly Support Approach Comparison

	Traditional Folded G-10 Tube approach	Fiber Support Technology
Heat Loads (Hot Case)	600 mW	390 mW
Measured first natural resonant frequency out of the detector plane	180 Hz	675 Hz