Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is tasked with developing a low-orbit telescope within 13 months for a 2027 space mission focusing on moon landing site selection, mapping mineral deposits, and identifying deep space threats. This initiative, in partnership with the Department of Defense and Firefly rocket company, aims to rejuvenate U.S. lunar exploration. The patented monolithic telescope technology allows rapid development, utilizing a single piece of glass for telescopic mirrors. The resulting technology, known as Ocula, will function on Firefly's Elytra Dark vehicle and provide commercial and defense imaging services.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will develop a low-orbit telescope in 13 months as part of a 2027 space mission to select moon landing sites.
The LLNL monolithic telescope aims to reignite the U.S. lunar exploration program, dormant for over a generation, and compete in a growing industry.
"The huge demand for space services is a whole new world...this is a very aggressive schedule...all of the really hard engineering is done at the manufacturing point of the glass." - Ben Bahney.
"Ocula will be one of the first - if not the first - commercial lunar imaging service on the market, filling a void for our nation with advanced lunar imaging capabilities." - Jason Kim.
#lunar-exploration #space-technology #telescope-development #ocular-service #commercial-space-industry
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