March 18, 2005, Boulder, CO--Ball Aerospace & Technologies announced that its new Horizontal Collimator Assembly (HCA), which tests large telescope systems in a space-like environment, is now operational. The HCA facilitates the testing of optical systems with apertures up to 30 inches (0.76 meter) in diameter. Since the entire test facility and instrument are vibration isolated, risks associated with atmospheric turbulence and air-layering effects are eliminated.
By early 2006, the HCA will be joined by a Vertical Collimator Assembly (VCA), which will allow system-level testing with a 1.5-meter diameter collimator system in a vacuum. Together, both collimators will be known as the Universal Collimator Assembly (UCA). The UCA will also be capable of testing cryogenic telescopes. The high-resolution WorldView camera, under development for DigitalGlobe on behalf of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and satellite imagery customers worldwide, will be the first optical instrument tested in using HCA.
According to Dave Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace, "The HCA is our next step in the company's long-term commitment to large-aperture optical systems. The system will give us a competitive advantage in the marketplace."
Ball Aerospace & Technologies (owned by Ball Corporation) develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial markets. It has a long-standing reputation for delivering sophisticated optical instruments for NASA and military applications. The company also has a growing business base for developing excellent large-aperture systems such as QuickBird, HiRISE, the Spitzer Space Telescope, Kepler and the James Webb Space Telescope.