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Mirror Fabrication

April

The LSST secondary mirror (M2) system has completed another big milestone, with successful demonstration of closed-loop mirror control. The Harris team accomplished this using the aluminum surrogate mirror integrated into the cell assembly.  Meanwhile, the mirror substrate is being prepared for its “first light optical test” in July at Harris in Rochester, NY, with the successful bonding of all actuator pads.

Credit: 
LSST Project / NSF / AURA
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November
The primary/tertiary mirrors shown in place with the secondary mirror and camera shown from the side and from above.
Credit: 
LSST Project/J. Andrew
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March
The M1M3 Acceptance Team.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The lifter is supported by the crane above the mirror with 54 vacuum pads on the mirror. The pumps connected to the pads (yellow boxes located on the lifter) are on in this picture, creating a vacuum under each pad and securing the mirror to the lifter.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
A close-up of one of the vacuum pads after it has been secured to the mirror. The pumps were turned off and the pressure was monitored overnight and checked the following morning to ensure that there were no leaks before lifting the mirror into its container.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The mirror is lifted from the polishing cell (in the far back) to the container (in the front).
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The lifter pauses above the mirror after installation of the mirror in the container.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The mirror rests in its container with the lifter on its stand in the back.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The mirror is lifted from its polishing cell (the big round device with protruding tubes) onto the bottom section of its box (the square device).
Credit: 
LSST
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February
The bottom covers of the box are removed so technicians can attached the mirror's hard points, the gold-tone fixtures under the mirror, to the blue supporting fixtures of the box.
Credit: 
LSST
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February
Chunks of Ohara E6 low expansion glass are loaded into the furnace mold. The loading process takes two days to complete and requires 51,900 pounds of glass.
Credit: 
Ray Bertram / Steward Observatory
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February
The LSST M1M3 mirror is face down on the SOML large optical grinder and the back surface core holes have been plugged (blue circles) in preparation for grinding and polishing the back surface of the mirror.
Credit: 
LSST
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November
LSST Telescope and Site Project Manager William Gressler and Exelis personnel pose with the LSST secondary mirror (M2) substrate in the vendor's receiving area.
Credit: 
LSST Project
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November
The 72,620 pound M1M3 shipping container was successfully transported from CAID Industries in Tucson to the UofA Mirror Lab. The 30ft x 30ft oversize load departed at 4am, escorted by four Tucson police cars and two pilot vehicles. Offloading was completed by 5:30am. Once Final Acceptance Testing is completed, the M1M3 will be stored locally in Tucson for final integrated testing prior to shipment to the summit facility in Chile.
Credit: 
LSST Project
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November
The 72,620 pound M1M3 shipping container was successfully transported from CAID Industries in Tucson to the UofA Mirror Lab. The 30ft x 30ft oversize load departed at 4am, escorted by four Tucson police cars and two pilot vehicles. Offloading was completed by 5:30am. Once Final Acceptance Testing is completed, the M1M3 will be stored locally in Tucson for final integrated testing prior to shipment to the summit facility in Chile.
Credit: 
LSST Project
Medium Version
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Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Agreement No. 1258333, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).  The DOE-funded effort to build the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.   




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