Achieved technology maturation of key component-level technologies for ultra-stable optical systems

The recently released Astro2020 Decadal Survey recommends a large IR/O/UV space telescope that can observe potentially habitable exoplanets. Achieving this goal requires a telescope with wavefront stability on the order of picometers in some modes. The Ultra-Stable Large Telescope Research and Analysis - Technology Maturation (ULTRA-TM) program has matured key component-level technologies for this new regime of "ultra-stable optical systems," including active components like segment edge sensors, actuators and thermal sensing and control hardware, as well as passive components like low distortion mirror mounts and stable composites for structures. Hardware testbeds have demonstrated component performance in the desired regime and with path-to-flight properties and simulations have applied those results to the flight system. These component-level demonstrations are a critical step to enable subsequent subsystem- and system-level demonstrations of an ultra-stable telescope.