A Historic Moment in Space
Lens fabricated in space for the first time earlier this week, using innovative technology developed at the Technion
A historic moment: a lens was fabricated in space for the first time earlier this week, using innovative technology developed at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The fluidic shaping method, developed by Prof. Moran Bercovici’s research team, in collaboration with NASA, could revolutionize space optics by overcoming the current limitations due to the size of the launcher and enabling fabrication of giant lenses for space telescopes.
Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe at the Technion, last year
“No dream is beyond reach,” Prof. Bercovici says, and adds about the success of the experiment, that it was “out of this world to see our experimental setup in space.”
Read Prof. Moran Bercovici’s full statement, made moments after the success of the experiment:
Watch the excitement in the NASA control center in Florida, as lab members watch the progress of the successful experiment, conducted by Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe (Hebrew):
Watch our video explaining this experiment, and more (English):