This research will benefit future NASA programs requiring interplanetary laser communication. High quality membranes coated with precision optical coatings may be useful for large ground-based, segmented telescopes such as TMT and Hobby-Eberly. Although the concept is still in its infancy, a coating transferred to a glass segment via a polymer membrane would be analogous to tinting an automobile car window. Preliminary evaluations indicate a membrane with less than lambda/6 PTV error, may be useful for segmented mirror systems with active correction. A coating transfer process would eliminate the need for a segment assembly containing motors, controllers, and actuators, from being placed in a vacuum chamber for periodic recoating.
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