A Scientific Assessment of a New Technology Orbital Telescope -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- REFERENCE -- 1 Introduction -- BMDO'S ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR -- The Telescope -- Sensor Package -- Image Stabilization -- Spacecraft Bus -- Launch System -- POTENTIAL VALUE OF THE ATD/NTOT TO SPACE ASTRONOMY -- TASK GROUP'S EXPERTISE, PHILOSOPHY, AND APPROACH -- Operating Philosophy -- Attention to Possible Mission Enhancements -- Content of This Report -- REFERENCES -- 2 Anticipated Technical Performance of the ATD/NTOT -- BASIC DESIGN FEATURES -- EXPECTED POINT-SPREAD FUNCTION -- Line-of-Sight Stability -- Figure Error -- Point-Spread Functions -- FOCAL-PLANE SUITE -- ACQUISITION AND TRACKING -- OPERATIONS, ORBIT, COMMUNICATIONS, AND POWER REQUIREMENTS -- REFERENCE -- 3 Scientific and Operational Niches -- NEAR-INFRARED AND OPTICAL PERFORMANCE -- SCIENCE OPERATIONS FOR THE ATD/NTOT -- The Science Team -- Science and Spacecraft Operations -- Cost of Science Operations -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- 4 Astronomical Technology Demonstrations -- DEMONSTRATIONS DURING THE BASELINE MISSION -- Use of Active Optics -- Image Quality -- Thermal Background -- Field Distortion Stability -- Orbital Maneuvering -- Very Long Exposures During a Single Orbit -- Testing Modes for Operations and Scheduling -- ASTRONOMICALLY ENHANCED DEMONSTRATIONS -- Enhanced Image Quality -- Thermal Background -- Field Distortion Stability -- Photometric Stability -- REFERENCE -- 5 Science Projects -- WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEYS -- Galaxies in the Early Universe -- Ultradeep Survey -- Cosmological Tests -- KUIPER DISK SURVEY -- Properties of Kuiper Disk Objects -- Follow-up and Related Projects -- STAR- AND PLANET-FORMING REGIONS -- Embedded Young Stellar Objects -- Frequency of Disks -- Protostellar Envelopes -- Envelope Infall and Other Projects.

Accretion-Dominated Phase -- Disk Sizes -- Winds and Jets -- Post-Accretion Phases -- GLOBAL CHANGE ON PLUTO AND TRITON -- REFERENCES -- 6 Issues and Concerns -- NEED FOR FULL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS -- IMAGE STABILIZATION AND GUIDE-STAR AVAILABILITY -- STRAY AND SCATTERED LIGHT -- FREQUENCY OF REFIGURING -- SOFTWARE RELIABILITY -- IMAGING DETECTORS IN A HIGH-RADIATION ENVIRONMENT -- COST AND SCHEDULE CONTROL -- REFERENCE -- 7 Conclusions and Recommendations -- APPENDIX Glossary.