| The Micro Precision Interferometer (MPI) laboratory is a testbed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the measurement of optical elements using instruments calibrated to the order of nanometers. It is a testbed built to assess vibration attenuation technologies on a dimensionally representative hardware model of a space borne interferometer. It is therefore very important that interfering vibration elements be controlled in the system.; The primary vibration disturbance source to the spacecraft comes from the reaction wheel assembly (RWA), a spinning disk used for attenuating the spacecraft motion and pointing at specific targets. The RWA works on the principle of conservation of momentum by spinning about a certain axis and forcing the spacecraft to rotate in the opposite direction. However, due to the spinning nature of the RWA, it also causes undesired vibration disturbances in the structure to which it is mounted. These disturbances are measured, characterized, and the data is combined with the information from a finite element model of the spacecraft to predict its on-orbit dynamic behavior before launch.; This thesis presents the efforts to quantify and measure the RWA disturbances and use the data as input to the design of a vibration isolation system. A design goal of the isolator is to be able to use it in multiple configurations or in multiple missions with minimal modifications. Areas in the design where multiple applications of the vibration isolation system are possible are identified. Finally, recommendations for future work are presented. |
