PAST PROJECTS

Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Mission	The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is a space based satellite currently in Phase C/D and is scheduled to launch into low-Earth equatorial orbit in February 2012. The NuSTAR mission will deploy the first focusing telescopes to image the sky in the high energy X-ray (6 – 79 keV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our view of the universe in this spectral window has been limited because previous orbiting telescopes have not employed true focusing optics, but rather have used coded apertures that have intrinsically high backgrounds and limited sensitivity. For over two years, IMS contributed to the mission by providing mechanical engineering, design, and analysis services for development of two optic assembly machines, and optical frames. To learn more about the NuSTAR mission, please visit their website at www.nustar.caltech.edu/about-nustar.

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)	The 8.4m Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a wide-field telescope facility that will add a qualitatively new capability in astronomy. For the first time, the LSST will provide time-lapse digital imaging of faint astronomical objects across the entire sky. The LSST has been identified as a national scientific priority in reports by diverse national panels, including several National Academy of Sciences and federal agency advisory committees. This judgment is based upon the LSST’s ability to address some of the most pressing open questions in astronomy and fundamental physics, while driving advances in data- intensive science and computing. View the current Baseline Configurations of the LSST or check out our overview paper. The 8.4-meter LSST will survey the entire visible sky deeply in multiple colors every week with its three-billion pixel digital camera, probing the mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy, and opening a movie-like window on objects that change or move rapidly: exploding supernovae, potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, and distant Kuiper Belt Objects. For over three years, IMS contributed to the project by providing mechanical engineering, design, and analysis services for the development of the focal plane. To learn more about the LSST mission, please visit their website at http://www.lsst.org/lsst/about.