NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., will team to improve NASA's ability to make critical measurements needed for the next generation of orbiting observatories. At the same time the effort will establish a national resource for traceable high-accuracy measurements of large optics.
As part of a recently signed memorandum of understanding, Marshall will work with NIST's Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory to develop the standards and test procedures for the dimensional measurement of large diameter optics (greater than 0.4 meters, or about 1.3 feet, in diameter) that meets the needs of U.S. industry and the government for traceable dimensional measurements.
"There presently is no national or international standard for optical mirrors over 0.4 meters in diameter," said James Bilbro, Marshall Center's Special Assistant for Optics. "Our work with NIST is primarily driven by our need to develop and maintain the technology necessary to manufacture and characterize high quality large, ultra-lightweight optics at a low cost for future large high precision NASA space telescopes," he said. Bilbro pointed out that the effort stands to benefit not just NASA, but also the Department of Defense and the nation as a whole. "This type of measurement technology will help U.S. industry compete in the world marketplace. By using certified standards, manufacturers can ultimately reduce the cost of the end product."
"We are delighted that NIST is partnering with NASA in the development and implementation of this measurement capability that will enable the space agency to build and fly advanced space observatories on a scale greatly expanded beyond that of the Hubble Space Telescope," said Ted Vorburger, group leader in the Precision Engineering Division of NIST's Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory.
The Marshall Center has had extensive experience in the development of large optics for telescopes over the last 30 years, including the Apollo Telescope Mount, the High-Energy Astrophysics Observatory series, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Most recently, the Center directed the design and construction of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, scheduled for launch this year. The Center has responsibility for space optics manufacturing technology for NASA and is currently working on developing technologies for even larger, more powerful space telescopes. These include the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Constellation X-ray Mission, both currently under study by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, NIST promotes economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards through four partnerships: the Measurement and Standards Laboratories, the Advanced Technology Program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Baldrige National Quality Program.
Note to Editors / News Directors: News and information on the National Institute of Standards and Technology are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nist.gov