Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Future Space Telescopes Could be Made From Thin Membranes, Unrolled in Space to Enormous Size


As we saw with JWST, it's difficult and expensive to launch large telescope apertures, relying on origami techniques to unfold the full mirror. A new paper proposes that telescope mirrors could be made out of a thin polymer that's only 200 micrometers thick. It could be rolled up inside a rocket fairing and then unrolled once it gets to space. This could allow apertures vastly larger than anything currently in space, with several working together as an interferometer.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on Universe Today

Read more on:

Photo of enormous size

enormous size

Photo of thin membranes

thin membranes

Related news:

News photo

Future Space Telescopes Could be Made From Thin Membranes, Unrolled in Space to Enormous Size

News photo

Future Space Telescopes Could be Made From Thin Membranes, Unrolled in Space to Enormous Size

News photo

Scientists Uncover Terrestrial Secret Behind Pterosaurs’ Enormous Size