Tucson Standard

Testing has commenced at the University of Arizona for the Giant Magellan Telescope's advanced mirror support structure. The testing is taking place inside the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, located beneath the university's football stadium. A giant glass mirror, protected by a blue translucent coating, rests on a steel platform painted white.

The mirror being tested is one of seven segments that will form the primary mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope, currently under construction in Chile's Atacama Desert. These mirrors are arranged in a unique flower pattern and will provide high image resolution and field of view for exploring the universe. Each primary mirror weighs 16 metric tons and is supported by a specialized pneumatic system designed to adjust its position, stabilize temperature, protect from seismic activity, and maintain shape.

"This is the first time this large and complex mirror support system has been built," said Buddy Martin from the Mirror Lab. He added that this opportunity allows them to test it in the lab with precision accuracy.

The testing involves placing one of these mirrors on 160 actuators spaced across a steel platform. This system compensates for deformations caused by wind gusts and temperature changes during observations. Once integrated with its support system prototype, rigorous testing will confirm if it can maintain its shape under operational conditions using ultra-precise lasers.

Tomas Krasuski, principal software and system test engineer for the telescope project, noted that "every single component was thoroughly tested before integrating it into the system." He expressed excitement about validating its performance now that they've installed a mirror segment.

The integration process involved collaboration between various organizations including Texas A&M University and GMTO Corporation. The actual installation took one day but required weeks of preparation beforehand.

This milestone marks significant progress toward completing all seven primary mirrors needed for optimal telescope function. Three segments are complete while four are still being manufactured; polishing preparations have begun for the seventh segment cast last year.

According to William Burgett, project manager for Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO), integrating a completed primary mirror segment into its support system represents substantial advancement toward achieving "first light" when operational in Chile by early 2030s.