written by sharmila kuthunur, on april 13th, 2023
what: rollable ‘membrane mirrors’ could pave way for bigger, more powerful space telescopes.
who: scientist sebastian rabien
why: to further science by creating bigger, more transportable mirrors, that will be able to see further into space
how: using his new method, rabien built a mirror 0.9 feet (30 centimeters) wide. He created what is called a membrane mirror by placing an evaporated material, the identity of which is not disclosed in the statement, into a vacuum chamber. soon after, a lightweight polymer membrane, likely as thin as household plastic wrap, began to form.
interesting paragraph: (sub-heading) it could make lightweight mirrors that are 15 or 20 meters in diameter a reality.
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