High-precision mirror drive for far-infrared high-resolution Fourier spectrometer

An evaluation model of a high precision mirror drive, based on the parallelogram principle, has been designed and manufactured at Officine Galileo so as to meet the instrumental requirements of the high resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS for the Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far InfraRed Emission (SAFIRE) project. Mechanical and optical tests, carried out on the scanning mechanism evaluation model, provided measurements of the stability and uniformity of the movement and showed that the selected mirror drive concept meets the required tolerances.