As the Hubble telescope has just celebrated its 30th anniversary, NASA continues to develop new and increasingly advanced observation instruments. In early May, the US space agency announced on its blog the funding of several new major projects. Among them, the construction of a giant telescope on the far side of the Moon, a project signed by the roboticist Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay.
A telescope assembled directly in space
This future ultra long wavelength telescope, dubbed Lunar Crater Radio Telescope, would be able to pick up very weak signals traveling through space. This new device could allow us to better observe the universe.
Unlike a conventional radio telescope, the structure of this giant device would be directly assembled in orbit. For this, NASA could use the ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) technique, or deposition of atomic layers. This consists of "making very thin reflective layers to solidify", specifies NASA . “Layers” of mirrors which would then be assembled on the device, directly in orbit.
NASA-funded project
“We believe that the next generation of telescopes over 20 meters in diameter will be built and assembled in orbit. Instead of making the mirrors on the floor, why not print them in space? "Said Vivek Dwivedi, an engineer at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
A giant telescope implanted on the Moon and built directly in space? It may be soon. In any case, the American space agency believes in it and has just awarded a grant of 120,000 dollars for the development of this project.
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