James Webb Space Telescope about to be assembled :-)
It makes Hubble look like something you'd find in a Kinder Egg! The 18 beryllium hexagonal mirrors have now been manufactured to unimaginable specifications by Ball Aerospace and packaged in these cool cylinders .. img.gawkerassets.com/img/17wnst3tvnowgjpg/original.jpg
(, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 0:18, Reply)
Do you think they've realized they've left a hole in the middle...?
(, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 1:54, Reply)
Beryllium is nasty stuff to manufacture
I'm told they pretty much have to bury the factory afterwards.
A chap I do work for occasionally had some beryllium mirrors made. They were about 200mm^2 and were flat to within a wavelength of light. I reckon we can sell them to wealthy narcissistic celebrities.
(, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 6:35, Reply)
Why does she insist...
...on calling them 'mirrrrs'?
(
Black Moon Not cracked, I'm all up to be., Wed 22 Aug 2012, 8:05,
Reply)
Beryllium is a horrible material all round
If you inhale the dust it causes your lungs (over time) to lose elasticity until you are no longer able to take a breath. A friend died of it a few years ago. Horrible.
(, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 8:12, Reply)
I read it as 18 billion hexagonal mirrors
and I thought, well that'll take a while to put together
(, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 11:36, Reply)