Patent ID: 7270304

Claim:
An improved space-based observatory platform having an instrument payload and a sunshield, wherein the improvement comprises: a gimbaled positioning boom having a length-to-width aspect ratio in a range between 30 and 60 to 1 coupling the instrument payload to the observatory platform, the boom having a natural frequency below a frequency of dynamic noise such that the boom minimizes transmission of the dynamic noise between the instrument payload and the observatory platform; the positioning boom further including a plurality of piezoelectric patches disposed thereupon to provide active damping, where stresses along the boom caused by flexing are transmitted to a proximate first piezoelectric sensor that is an element of one of the plurality of piezoelectric patches, and a corresponding in actuator that is an element of the same piezoelectric patch of which the first piezoelectric sensor is an element provides a force acting on the boom in a direction substantially opposite to a direction of flexing sensed by the first piezoelectric sensor; wherein the positioning boom is articulated to position the instrument payload center of gravity with respect to the sunshield center of solar pressure in at least five degrees of freedom to maintain a predetermined relationship between payload center of gravity and solar pressure force center, thus minimizing momentum buildup.