Fluidic telescope experiment (FLUTE ) project
FLUTE aims to find out if giant lenses and mirrors – the high-quality optical components needed for future large-aperture space telescopes – can be created from liquids in space.
The Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE) project team, jointly led by NASA and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, envisions a way to make huge circular self-healing mirrors in-orbit to further the field of astronomy. Larger telescopes collect more light, and they allow astronomers to peer farther into space and see distant objects in greater detail. These next-generation large space observatories would study the highest priority astrophysics targets, including first generation stars – the first to shine and flame out after the Big Bang – early galaxies, and Earth-like exoplanets. These observatories could help address one of humanity’s most important science questions: “Are we alone in the universe?”
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FLUTE aims to find out if giant lenses and mirrors – the high-quality optical components needed for future large-aperture space telescopes – can be created from liquids in space.
The Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE) project team, jointly led by NASA and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, envisions a way to make huge circular self-healing mirrors in-orbit to further the field of astronomy. Larger telescopes collect more light, and they allow astronomers to peer farther into space and see distant objects in greater detail. These next-generation large space observatories would study the highest priority astrophysics targets, including first generation stars – the first to shine and flame out after the Big Bang – early galaxies, and Earth-like exoplanets. These observatories could help address one of humanity’s most important science questions: “Are we alone in the universe?”
The aperture for the space observatory envisioned by FLUTE researchers under the current concept would be approximately 164 feet (50 meters) in diameter – half as long as a football field.
Conventional technology for making optical components for telescopes is literally a grind. It involves an iterative process of sanding and polishing solid materials, such as glass or metal, to shape the precise curved surfaces of lenses and mirrors needed. Using current technologies, scaling up space telescopes to apertures larger than approximately 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter does not appear economically viable.
FLUTE would launch liquids to space as the raw material to make optical components in orbit. The primary mirror would form within a huge circular frame and remain in liquid state with an extremely smooth surface for collecting light. FLUTE’s technology approach is theoretically able to scale up to very large sizes. The technology could potentially enable telescopes with apertures measuring 10 times – or even 100 times – larger than telescopes to-date.
Milestones:
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December 2021: We conducted parabolic flight tests aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s G-FORCE ONE, a modified airplane that provides brief periods of microgravity to enable technology evaluation. The experiment tested the formation of free-standing liquid lenses from synthetic oils of different viscosities.
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April 2022: Axiom-1 astronaut Eytan Stibbe conducted a microgravity experiment aboard the space station as part of the RAKIA mission. The experiment used liquid polymers to form lenses that were hardened in orbit and returned to Earth for analysis. An additional, educational experiment was also performed, during which a large lens — which remained in its liquid state — was formed using regular water.
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November 2022: We conducted parabolic flight tests aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s G-FORCE ONE. This set of experiments focused on creating liquid mirrors rather than lenses, which was done using ionic liquids and an alloy of gallium. Gallium is a non-toxic, highly reflective metal that has a very low melting temperature.
Fluidic Space Optics - Rakia mission highlights
Fluidic Space Optics - Rakia mission highlights
ככה מייצרים עדשות בחלל
משדר חלל - הניסוי שלי בחלל עם פרופ' מורן ברקוביץ'
![[2 min, w/ sound] Astronaut Eytan Stibbe creating a large water lens on the ISS](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vb4tV2qPcPs/maxresdefault.jpg)
[2 min, w/ sound] Astronaut Eytan Stibbe creating a large water lens on the ISS
![[2 min with sound] Astronaut Eytan Stibbe using Fluidic Shaping to create the first lenses in space](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x6Z_9To6P6g/maxresdefault.jpg)
[2 min with sound] Astronaut Eytan Stibbe using Fluidic Shaping to create the first lenses in space
תיעוד הניסוי מהטכניון במשימת רקיע
Preliminary summary of our December 2021 parabolic flights
Technion: Space Odyssey
מחקר פורץ דרך ליצירת אופטיקה באמצעות נוזלים בכדור הארץ ובחלל
Omer Luria's presentation at the EIC exhibition - 2023 06 26
Announcing the experiments chosen for ‘RAKIA’ Mission - LIVE
Research Team:
FLUTE researchers are based at:
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NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
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NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
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The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel.
Funding:
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FLUTE’s first set of parabolic flight experiments (December 2021) was funded by the Bercovici Fluidic Technologies Laboratory at Technion, by Technion Center for Security, Science, and Technology (CSST) Fund, and by NASA Ames Center Innovation Fund.
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The second set of parabolic flight experiments was supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, NASA Ames Center Innovation Fund, NASA Goddard Center Innovation Fund, NASA Goddard Internal Research and Development Fund, and by the European Union (ERC, Fluidic Shaping, 101044516). The Flight Opportunities program is part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington and is based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Ames manages the solicitation and evaluation of technologies to be tested and demonstrated on commercial flight vehicles.
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FLUTE's space station experiment was conducted as part of the Rakia Mission, led by the Ramon Foundation, and was funded by Bercovici Fluidic Technologies Laboratory at Technion, the Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, NASA Ames Center Innovation Fund, and the ISS National Laboratory.
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STMD has supported FLUTE through the Center Innovation Fund, the Flight Opportunities program, and the NIAC program.