Kaman, U Arizona to Build Collimator

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Oct. 9 -- Kaman Aerospace Corp.'s Electro-Optics Development Center (EODC) and the University of Arizona Steward Observatory Mirror Lab have been awarded a $35 million contract to build a 6.5-meter aperture collimator. The collimator, scheduled for operation in 2006, will provide a means of testing large optical systems in a vacuum environment.

Kaman's portion of the contract is valued at approximately $12.8 million, with the majority of the work occurring in 2003. Work will be performed at Kaman's Electro-Optics Development Center in Tucson, Ariz.

A teaming agreement calls for Steward Observatory to use technologies it has developed for casting and polishing large astronomical optics. Steward Observatory and Kaman will jointly design the active and adaptive optical systems for maintaining an extremely accurate projected optical wavefront. Kaman will design and fabricate the structural, electrical, mechanical and software control systems for the collimator. The Steward-Kaman team will then jointly assemble, test and deliver the system in 2006.

For more information, visit: www.kamanaero.com or www.arizona.edu