🔭 NASA to Create Telescope with "Living" Mirrors
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be equipped with a revolutionary "active" coronagraph. Using an array of 48x48 actuators, the instrument will be able to change the shape of mirrors with a precision of up to 10 picometers, allowing it to suppress starlight and directly photograph exoplanets.
🌍 Active wavefront control technology will set a precedent for future observatories, enabling a contrast of 10 billion to 1, which is necessary for searching for Earth-type planets.
👤 We are moving from the indirect detection of planets to the ability to see them as independent objects, bringing us significantly closer to the search for habitable worlds.
Source 1: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/22/1140701/shape-shifting-mirrors-roman-space-telescope/