Two sections of the primary mirror composite back structure and the structure deployment hinges undergoing environmental testing at the Ball facility in Boulder, Colo. Photo: Ball

[Via Satellite 05-28-2014] Ball Aerospace and Technologies completed thermal vacuum environmental tests on components of its Membrane Optic Imager Real-Time Exploitation (MOIRE) telescope for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Two sections of the composite back structure of the primary mirror for the instrument, as well as the deployment hinges, successfully completed these tests at Ball’s facility in Boulder, Colo. ATK Space Components built the composite back structure, while the deployment hinges that will be used to unfold the telescope primary in space were designed and built by Ball.

The DARPA MOIRE program awarded a contract to Ball in 2010, and the project is currently in the second phase, during which the first-ever images using lightweight membrane optics were created. Ball is the main contractor for the DARPA MOIRE program.