A telescope is an optical device which is used to see distant objects with clarity. The telescope can collect the electromagnetic waves and collate it on the eyepiece to make a clear picture of the distant object on the eye lens. The telescope was first discovered in the early 1600s in Netherlands by using simple glass lens. A telescope is used for both terrestrial as well as astronomical applications.
There were various telescopes developed with the advent of time like a radio telescope was developed in the 1930s and then the infrared telescope was developed in 1960s. In the optical telescope, light is gathered from the electromagnetic spectrum and focused. The brightness as well as the apparent angular size of the body increases and is clearly viewed in the eyepiece. The optical telescopes are made from lenses and mirrors. These lenses and mirrors are made from high-quality glass or sometimes quartz glass so that minimum light is absorbed and the maximum amount of rays are transmitted.
There are varieties of telescopes like a refracting telescope uses lenses to form an image whereas a reflecting one uses a combination of mirrors and the catadioptric telescope uses both mirrors and optical lenses to form an image.
A team of NASA’s scientists from Goddard have made perfect use of embedded product development and are currently developing a nanotube telescope which is light in weight and would cost very less. It would be small enough to be easily fitted in the CubeSats. It will aid the scientists in carrying out various experiments in the space. This telescope will have the capability to sense and capture ultraviolet radiations, visible spectrum and also the infrared spectrum quite easily.
The telescope is designed to provide quick images of distant stars and constellations. It is designed for carrying out experiments so it would not be able to send back high-resolution images as Hubble sends back. But they can be maneuvered easily and thus would be a small but effective tool for the scientists which would be a stepping stone for such humongous telescopes of the future. The team has designed a carbon nanotube mirror to use it inside the telescope.
The normal telescopes are made of aluminum or glass but the scientists developed a carbon nanotube mirror embedded in the epoxy resin that can capture a huge amount of light. It is also very tough and an efficient conductor of heat. Moreover, it does not require polishing which brought its cost further down. This is a perfect example of embedded product solution when the technology is used most efficiently to make a product which will pave the way for future telescopes.
The mirror of this telescope is highly stable and can be reproduced easily. Because they do not need polishing as they are already smooth and perfectly shaped, they also need very less money in production. To make such mirrors, the manufacturers poured a mixture of carbon nanotubes and epoxy in a mold which was then heated to harden the epoxy and give the substance a definite shape. The mirror is then coated with a reflective mixture of silicon dioxide and aluminum.
NASA has used the embedded product development technology to develop a product that would cater to their specific needs. They needed a product that can work under very harsh conditions without any scope of maintenance and it is unlike all the telescopes of the present and past. They finally came up with an embedded product solution that would probably pave the way for next generation of telescopes. Bytesplay also believes that no task is impossible and thus we have been utilizing our workforce and energy to provide a solution to our clients using the in-house embedded product development team.
