Low cost, lightweight, dimensionally stable SiC mirrors have use in complex telescopes for Astronomy, Imaging and Remote Sensing applications, including optical instruments/telescopes which enable imaging, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for police and paramilitary units, fire fighters, power and pipeline monitoring, search and rescue, atmospheric and ocean monitoring, imagery and mapping for resource management, and disaster relief and communications. The dual-use nature of complex telescopes will bring affordability to national defense missions as well.
The great observatories of the future require a mirror technology that is lightweight, dimensionally stable, high performance, and above all else, cost effective. Molded HoneySiCTM hexagonal panels in sizes of 1-3 meters point-to-point will allow construction of extremely large aperture UV and IR telescopes, at prices for from $38-100K per square-meter, a factor of 40 to 100 times less than present day technology. With appropriate capital equipment and infrastructure it may be possible to produce even larger parts.
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