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A report has favored a simpler design for China's next large space telescope:
China's astronomers are united in wanting a world-class giant optical telescope, one that would serve notice that they are ready to compete on the global stage. But a squabble has opened up over the telescope's design. On one side is an established engineering team, led by a veteran optics expert responsible for the nation's largest existing telescope, that is eager to push ahead with an ambitious design. On the other are astronomers reveling in a grassroots priority-setting exercise—unprecedented for China—who have doubts about the ambitious design and favor something simpler.
Now, a panel of international experts has reviewed the designs and come out squarely in favor of the simpler proposal, according to a copy of the review obtained by Science. But the conclusion has not ended what one Chinese astronomer calls "an epic battle" between the high-ranking engineers accustomed to top-down control over projects and the nascent grassroots movement.
Features on the wishlist include a total of four mirrors, one primary and three secondary:
[...] In most large telescopes, a large primary mirror captures light and reflects it off one or two secondary mirrors to the telescope's instruments. The daring NIAOT design calls for four mirrors—one primary and three secondary. The fourth mirror allows for exquisite control of the streams of photons so that they fall almost perpendicular to the instrument's focal plane, ensuring "very good image quality," [optics specialist Xiangqun] Cui says. She adds that, because the TMT and other telescopes would eventually surpass the LOT's sensitivity, the NIAOT design needed to provide a wide field of view that would enable the telescope to act as a spotter for the bigger scopes. "This is a new century, we need new optical systems," Cui says.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 15 2017, @01:37PM (4 children)
China: the astronomers want something simpler, the engineers want something revolutionary.
US: the astronomers want anything they'd be able to get, the govt wants to cut their funding.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 15 2017, @03:00PM (1 child)
It's a slow slide into oblivion for the USA. Greed and corruption has won. The government has completely failed us. China is going to be the next great superpower thanks to the greedy fucks who sold us down the river for profit.
The USA is the next Russia, a has been loser. One day we're going to be watching China explore space as they bomb some hell hole country for resources all while standing in line for the soup kitchen with the rest of the happily ignorant masses chanting U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! and waving flags.
God Bless Greed.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday June 16 2017, @11:46AM
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 15 2017, @04:59PM
First thing I thought when reading this article. This makes me sad. It feels like our country is a train wreck in motion, but one that's playing out the progress a tiny fraction of an inch per day.
An even bigger downside is that China is a very insular nation. Hopefully the fruits of these labors will be the domain of more than just China.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday June 16 2017, @11:41AM