Zygo to showcase optical solutions at Space-Comm 2024
Above: Karen Nyberg on board the International Space station looking through a cupola window polished and tested by Zygo.
Courtesy Zygo
Showcasing the end-to-end supply chain for products, services and applications supplying and informing commercial space enterprises, government and defence organisations and developments in technology, Space-Comm represents an ideal platform for Zygo to demonstrate its standing as a long established provider of 3D optical metrology instruments and as manufacturer of optical parts and components.
Peter Kuschnir, European Sales Manager at Zygo said: ”We are excited to be at this year’s Space-Comm Expo in the UK, a country showing considerable government backed growth in the commercial space industry. Over 50 years ago, Zygo was founded to provide custom optics and precision engineering systems for optics fabrication. As a natural extension of its optics manufacturing activity, the company soon also became synonymous with metrology for positioning and surface analysis. Zygo’s 3D optical profilers and laser interferometers are at the ultra-precise end of the measurement spectrum, aimed at high-value applications, and already have a considerable footprint in the commercial space sector, where high performance three-dimensional metrology is the key to process development and manufacturing yield.”
Mission critical optical components as used in satellite and other commercial space-based optics demand attention to detail at every stage of the product development process. This requires that customers and supplier forge a true partnership relationship, and that the optical component supplier has the necessary expertise and experience in DfM and quality control to produce optimal results. Zygo is at the forefront of precision optical component supply and welcomes attendees at Space-Comm to discuss its exacting space applications.
Kuschnir concluded: “Commercial space optics must be able to survive launch, and then must, of course, perform well in the challenging environment of space. With the benefit of decades of practical experience, Zygo has proven it can produce robust and highly stable optics that are able to withstand launch loads and maintain high performance in orbit. To overcome the challenge of the dynamic thermal environment typical of low earth orbit, Zygo has designed optical components that are athermal over a broad temperature range and are tolerant of thermal gradients. To deal with the high vacuum and ionising radiation environment, we also have the depth of expertise to select the right glass, structural materials, and design approach to meet the lifetime goals of space optics. All of this can be achieved on a commercial cost basis and a schedule that is measured in months, not years.”
Zygo was responsible for the polishing and testing of the windows used in the International Space Station Expedition (ISS). Its work in the manufacture of optical components used in space applications has recently been reinforced by its announcement of the nomination of Karen Nyberg (a retired astronaut who flew on the International Space Station Expedition 36/37 in 2013) as its brand ambassador.
Zygo Corporation is a business unit of AMETEK.
