Chinese Space Science and Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (2): 138-150.doi: 10.16708/j.cnki.1000-758X.2026.0032

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A triple-reflector concentrator for lunar exploration

ZHANG Yanlong1, TIAN Mengfan2, XIA Zhou2, LI Lifang1,3, *, GUO Pengzhen2, DENG Zongquan1   

  1. 1.National Key Laboratory of Aerospace Mechanism, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
    2.National Key Laboratory of Laser Spatial Information, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
    3.National Key Laboratory of Space Environment and Matter Behaviors, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
  • Received:2025-09-22 Revision received:2025-10-31 Accepted:2025-11-15 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-03-31

Abstract: To address the challenges of low solar collection efficiency, large optical aberrations, and unstable energy transmission in lunar exploration and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), the optimization and dynamic compensation of a triple-reflector solar concentrator are investigated. The concentrator is designed with a primary mirror, a double-sided secondary mirror, and a fast steering mirror (FSM). A conjugate-correction method for secondary-mirror aberration compensation is developed, and an effective optical focality (EOF) metric is introduced to balance spherical-aberration correction and energy occlusion. Ray-tracing simulations are performed to analyze the evolution of focal-spot energy distribution and aberration patterns. In addition, a coupled dynamic model of the FSM-optical path is established based on the Lagrange formulation to realize precise angular compensation and stable beam control.The proposed system achieves a 204× concentration ratio and produces a quasi-parallel beam after complete spherical-aberration correction. EOF-based optimization improves the effective optical efficiency by approximately 15% compared with conventional dual-reflector systems. With FSM compensation, the tracking angular error is reduced to below 1 μrad, significantly enhancing the stability of long-distance optical energy transmission. The integration of the triple-reflector configuration with FSM-based control achieves coordinated optimization of high-concentration near-field focusing and collimated long-range beam output, while effectively mitigating secondary-mirror obstruction. The findings are of importance for long-term lunar missions, space-based solar power (SBSP), and high-temperature solar thermochemical applications.

Key words: lunar exploration, solar energy, concentrator, fast steering mirror, ray tracing;compensation