First Folding Space Telescope Aims to \u201cBreak the Glass Ceiling\u201d of Traditional Designs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMOIRE program creates first-ever images using lightweight membrane optics,
\nwhich could help redefine how we build, launch and use orbital telescopes<\/i><\/p>\n
The capability of orbital telescopes to see wide swaths of the earth at a time has made them indispensable for key national security responsibilities such as weather forecasting, reconnaissance and disaster response. Even as telescope design has advanced, however, one aspect has remained constant since Galileo: using glass for lenses and mirrors, also known as optics. High-resolution imagery traditionally has required large-diameter glass mirrors, which are thick, heavy, difficult to make and expensive. As the need for higher-resolution orbital imagery expands, glass mirrors are fast approaching the point where they will be too large, heavy and costly for even the largest of today\u2019s rockets to carry to orbit.<\/p>\n