The management of stray radiation issues in space optical systems

The performance of infrared and submillimeter systems can be severely degraded by stray light. Stray light includes off-axis radiation, system diffraction and scattering effects, and thermal self-emission. The purpose of this paper is to identify several keys to preventing system degradation due to stray radiation. The first key is to apply stray light design rules and analysis techniques early in the program before the design is finalized. A systems level analysis using stray light analysis software is often necessary in order to identify more subtle problems and to assess the magnitude of their effect on system performance. Another key is to address contamination control and the choice of surface coatings early in the program. The management of stray radiation issues is extremely cost-effective, if begun early in the program, and can reduce later schedule hardships.