NASA Extends Grant to Boston Micromachines

NASA has extended a Phase I project with Boston Micromachines Corp., granting a Phase II contract for approximately $600,000 for the development of a deformable mirror suitable for high-resolution imaging applications in space.

The Watertown, Mass.-based company will use microelectromechanical systems techniques to fabricate the device, whose structural components will all be made of single-crystal silicon. The mirror will require high precision, thermal stability and optical quality for space operation. It is intended for deployment in an observatory mission for detection of planets in other solar systems.