tommos OP t1_iu3emtf wrote
Reply to comment by mfb- in Chinese researchers create the world's largest silicon carbide aspherical mirror by tommos
I think it's for the Xuntian space telescope they're launching at the end of 2023.
the_fungible_man t1_iu3f484 wrote
It's not. The Xuntian telescope has a 2 m primary mirror.
mfb- t1_iu3ezc6 wrote
They made a 4 meter mirror with a hole in the center while the telescope will have a 2 meter mirror with an off-axis design (no hole in the center). But the material is the same in both cases.
Arcosim t1_iuaey39 wrote
Xuntian has a 2m mirror, and Earth 2.0 (the space telescope China is launching in 2026 into L2) is an array of six smaller telescopes sharing the same superstructure. So if this mirror is used it'll be used in another not currently announced space telescope.
Which makes sense, because Xuntian is a survey telescope (with a modest mirror but huge 2.4 gigapixel sensor) and Earth 2.0 is an exoplanet finder (5 IR telescopes plus a microlensing telescope). Which means there's a gap right in the middle for a depth of field telescope (think Hubble). This mirror would be perfect for it.
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