NASA’s NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray) is a partnership of many of the most prominent research facilities in the world led by California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Columbia University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and is defined as “a pathfinder mission that will open the high energy X-ray sky for sensitive study”.
By focusing X-rays at higher energy, NuSTAR will answer fundamental questions about the Universe:
- How are black holes distributed through
the cosmos? - How were the elements that compose
our bodies and the Earth forged in the
explosions of massive stars - What powers the most extreme
active galaxies?
Perhaps most exciting is the opportunity to fill a blank map with wonders we have not yet dreamed of: NuSTAR offers the opportunity to explore our Universe in an entirely new way.
“The NuSTAR telescope will have a sensitivity two orders of magnitude greater than any other instrument used to detect black holes. NuSTAR will help scientists understand how black holes are distributed throughout the universe, and what powers the most active galaxies.”
The telescope was launched in 2011 aboard a Pegasus XL launch vehicle. "Pegasus XL will be carried beneath a L-1011 aircraft and released over the Pacific Ocean.” -From Orbital Sciences Corporation
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Each machine features:
- Linear stacked air bearing stages straight and flat to less than 20 µ” over the full 600mm travel
- Air bearing work holding and tailstock spindles for lathe operation or holding position of the optic during assembly and grinding
- High-speed air bearing spindle for grinding graphite optic mounting surfaces
- Indexing turret assembly to easily transition between diamond turning, grinding and LVDT measurements
- Granite surface plate and base frame
- CNC lathe controller and electrical control cabinet
NuSTAR Optics Modules
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