Paper 14145-255
Paper 14145-255
Advancing critical technologies and integrated modeling for HWO in year 8 of the ULTRA program
8 July 2026 • 17:30 - 19:00 CEST | Room B4-M3
Abstract
The Ultrastable Large Telescopes Research and Analysis (ULTRA) program led by BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems continues to press forward with technology advances and system level insights for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The team continues its dual focus on 1) high-fidelity simulation leveraging models provided by NASA to evaluate their capabilities and risks as potential architectures and 2) hardware demonstrations/studies to address high priority technology gaps in stable mirrors, precision thermal control, and ultrastable sensing and actuation. This presentation will summarize recent achievements by this team and how they support the technology and concept maturation of HWO.
Presenter
BAE Systems, Inc. (United States)
Dr. Benjamin Cromey is a principal optical engineer at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems. He received his PhD in optical sciences from the University of Arizona in 2020. His work includes key roles on NASA missions such as the Roman Space Telescope Wide Field Instrument, and R&D efforts to prepare for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. He has authored more than 30 publications, and actively serves the scientific community in a variety of capacities across SPIE, Optica, and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.