M2 Optical Fabrication Contract Awarded to ITT Exelis

M2 Optical Fabrication Contract Awarded to ITT Exelis

July 12, 2013 -- ITT Exelis has been awarded the optical fabrication contract for LSST’s 3.5m secondary mirror assembly (http://ls.st/fky). The two-phase contract was awarded by AURA on behalf of the LSST project. The first phase supports vendor-specific engineering design activities targeted at risk reduction. The second phase includes the optical fabrication, testing, and integration of the finished mirror into the LSST-supplied M2 cell assembly.

Exelis is a global aerospace, defense, information and technical services company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The company leverages a 50-year legacy of customer knowledge and technical expertise to deliver affordable, mission-critical solutions to U.S. and international customers.

In a press release July 10, Exelis’ Director of Universe Exploration programs, Gary Matthews said, “Our risk reduction work will ensure that scientists receive high-quality images to support their research. We will verify that the optical metrology plan will provide an accurate and repeatable measurement. In turn, this will confirm that the quality of the secondary mirror during processing and mounting meets LSST specifications.”

Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Support Agreement No. 1202910, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).  The DOE-funded effort to build the the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.   




Contact   |   Employment   |   LSST Corporation

Admin Login

Back to Top