Date: Jun 11, 2014 Source: Company Data (
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Tucson, AZ., June 11, 2014 -- Arizona Optical Systems and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. have been selected by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to build the L1-L2 assembly for the camera on the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The LSST will be a ground based telescope, with construction slated to begin in late 2014 on the Cerro Pachón summit in Chile (elevation 8,800 ft.).
Arizona Optical Systems (AOS) will produce the large precision lenses required to focus sky images onto the largest CCD mosaic in the world. Ball Aerospace will be the prime contractor for the L1-L2 camera assembly and will produce the precision composite structure and mounts to support the lenses. AOS and Ball have joined together on previous high profile programs requiring large and very precise optics, such as the 1.5-meter collimator optic, which is the primary optic in the Ball Universal Collimator Assembly used to calibrate the 1-meter class telescope built for the space-borne NASA Kepler mission.
AOS' expertise in optical manufacturing and testing of 2-meter class optical systems will allow production of the 1.5 meter and 1.1 meter lenses to very stringent requirements. AOS will also be responsible for designing and building the calibration system that will be used to perform the final optical measurements of the LSST Camera Assembly Lenses. AOS' capabilities in optical testing are world class and well suited to the LSST camera requirements.
"Our experience at AOS in providing the astronomical and aerospace communities with state of the art optical systems will enable us to meet the demanding requirements of the LSST program. We are looking forward to working with our teammate, Ball Aerospace, on this exciting program," said Martin Valente, president of Arizona Optical Systems.
AOS was founded in 2009 by James Burge and Martin Valente as a spin-off from the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences. In 2014, AOS serves the aerospace and astronomical communities; providing world class optical systems by means of our continued development of novel optical manufacturing and optical metrology technologies. AOS Website: http://arizonaopticalsystems.com
About LSST:
The effort to build the LSST is a partnership between public and private organizations. Financial support for LSST Design and Development comes from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation, a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation formed in 2003, with headquarters in Tucson, AZ. Contributions from private foundation gifts, grants to universities, and in-kind support from laboratories and other LSST Member Institutions were key to early construction and critical developments. The LSST Project Office for central management was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The Department of Energy funded effort is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is responsible for optical elements of the LSST Camera. Learn more at www.lsst.org.
