TMT mirror polishing at India-TMT Optics Fabrication Facility (ITOFF), February 2024. The first test runs for grinding and polishing TMT mirrors are successfully performed at ITOFF. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre
In a significant development for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) International Observatory (TIO), Glen Cole, former lead optical fabrication engineer at TIO, recently visited the India-TMT Optics Fabrication Facility (ITOFF) in Bengaluru, India. The promising new ITOFF facility, a cutting-edge world-class facility for producing optics, represents a significant milestone for TIO’s polishing partners in India.
India TMT Coordination Centre Optics team at ITOFF in February 2024. TIO and India TMT staff in front of TIO’s custom-built polishing equipment at the ITOFF facility. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre
TIIndia-TMT Optics Fabrication Facility ITOFF Visit. TIO engineers walk through the air handling system located in the upper floor power supply rooms. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre
The visit highlighted progress in TIO’s collaboration efforts and the project's focus on optical fabrication at the ITOFF polishing facility. TIO and ITOFF staff are using precision metrology and polishing machines to continue the development and commissioning processes required to produce TMT’s high performance optics.
TIO staff are helping assess the fabrication processes, sharing their expertise with ITOFF. The visit ensures alignment with TIO’s standards for precision and quality. Cole and his team are laying the groundwork for the facility's operations and will establish a benchmark for future projects.
TMT primary mirror segment polishing at ITOFF in India, February 2024.
India TMT test TMT Clearceram glass polishing at ITOFF using the stress mirror polishing process. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre.
Measurement testing of TMT mirror prototype at India-TMT Optics Fabrication Facility (ITOFF), February 2024. Chetan, an ITOFF optics technician, uses ultrasonic thickness probes to precisely measure the thickness of the mirror glass. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre
The technical readiness of the polishing equipment, metrology tools, and plans shows how well the international partnership is progressing in building TMT’s primary mirror. The collaboration between TIO and ITOFF reflects well-founded optimism and the use of global expertise to pave the way for future astronomical breakthroughs.
The high-precision optical quality of TMT mirrors is critical for producing exceptional astronomical images that will lead to groundbreaking discoveries. TIO’s and ITOFF’s commitment to this precision will support generations of scientists as they address fundamental questions about the birth and evolution of the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe, identify Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars to probe their atmospheres for indications of potential life-supporting conditions, and much more.
India-TMT Mirror Polishing team at India-TMT Optics Fabrication Facility.
Group photo of the polishing team in the entrance of the new ITOFF facility located in Bengaluru, India and dedicated to TMT mirror production, in February 2024. Image credit: TMT International Observatory / India TMT Coordination Centre
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