In the Optics Department of the IAC we are delighted to announce that we have reason to celebrate. We have received and initiated the first tests with the Optotech MCP 1501 large surface polishing machine. This addition represents the beginning of a new era in the production of large-scale optical elements at the IAC and in Spain, which opens the door to new opportunities for collaboration in the manufacture of large astronomical telescopes.
The polishing machine, already installed at IACTEC, will be a fundamental part of CSOA 1.5 (Center for Advanced Optical Systems for substrates up to 1.5 meters) and represents the first step in the creation of a unique infrastructure that, for the first time, will give us the capacity to manufacture large-scale optical components such as those used in today's large astronomical telescopes. A capability that only a few centers in the world have.
But this is not the only addition we have made to the equipment at the Center for Advanced Optical Systems (CSOA). We have also installed two additional machines at the IAC headquarters that will further improve our manufacturing capacity for medium-sized optical elements (up to 0.5 meters): a glass cutting machine with semi-automatic sawing and the OptoTech MCG 250 CNC Compact Generator, for generating optical materials of any shape and curvature in a precise and flexible manner.
The addition of these machines to our technological equipment consolidates CSOA's uniqueness in Spain, both in the production of small and medium-sized optical components in CSOA 0.5 and in the manufacture of large-scale elements in CSOA 1.5. This milestone reinforces the position of excellence of both centers in the field of optical technology and will allow us to participate in high-level national and international collaborations.
Today we have taken a major step forward in seeing the enormous versatility of the new polisher. In the coming months we will take full advantage of this cutting-edge technology to familiarize ourselves with it and prepare for the first challenge ahead: the fabrication of the primary mirror segments of the New Robotic Telescope (NRT). When completed, the NRT will be the world's largest robotic telescope with a total diameter of 4 meters.
We expect the NRT to be the first in a series of ambitious projects in collaboration with other research centers. Our vision is to broaden the scope of precision optics and open new opportunities for projects beyond astronomy, such as the laser industry, solar energy capture or opto-electronics.
The Optotech MCP 1501 polishing machine is designed for manufacturing optics with diameters up to 1.5 meters. A six-axis control and an innovative tool concept enable the 3D production of optical components of any shape, whether spheres or aspheres. In addition, it offers various polishing technologies adaptable to every type of project, which provides a high degree of versatility.
This moment is just the beginning of a series of challenges that we hope will establish CSOA as an international reference center in precision optics. We look forward to testing all the possibilities offered by this new machinery and to the opportunities that will arise as we continue progressing in our projects.
The Advanced Optical Systems Center (CSOA) is an unique infrastructure in Spain for the manufacture of high quality optical elements. This cutting-edge technology is a rising value and, with the necessary requirements in Astrophysics, it is available to very few centers in the world.
The NRT (New Robotic Telescope) is a project to design and build a 4-meter telescope within five years, which from the ORM will operate in a totally autonomous and robotic way. This form of operation will make it the largest robotic telescope in the world.
