September 2009Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Dubbed STS-125, NASA’s final servicing mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on 11 May of this year. The crew of seven astronauts replaced six gyroscopes, some batteries and a sensor that is used to guide the telescope. On board Space Shuttle Atlantis, three lenses made by Schneider-Kreuznach monitored the rendezvous between the shuttle and the telescope as well as the repair work.
“Through Schneider Optics USA, NASA requested Schneider-Kreuznach lenses from the standard range for the space mission. No modifications were needed for this special assignment. The quality and robustness of Schneider lenses were decisive for the space mission, according to NASA,” explains Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.
Astronauts Andrew Feustel (below) and John Grunsfeld (top) at the Hubble Telescope, photographed by a Schneider-Kreuznach lens. (Image rights: NASA)
The space organisation’s specialists chose the compact C-mount standard lenses Xenoplan and Cinegon for the mission. Mounted in the shuttle’s payload bay, the three lenses sent high resolution video images of the shuttle docking with, opening and casting off from the telescope. The Schneider lenses were able to cope with the tough conditions, especially during launch, without the need for modifications of any kind.
The three standard compact lenses used for the space mission are normally used for 3D measurements, in robotics and motor sports. “We are particularly thrilled that one of our standard lenses was used for this special task. It goes to show how robust and reliable our products are,” says Thomas Schaich, head of sales for industrial optics at Schneider-Kreuznach. The final mission to the Hubble Space Telescope will enable it to keep functioning until at least 2014.
Westplex distributes Schneider-Kreuznach industrial optics in South Africa, as part of its portfolio of professional machine vision products.
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