Unfolding Telescope Tested in Germany

The European Space Agency says it’s supporting development of a suitcase-sized telescope that could revolutionize astronomy.

The Dobson Space Telescope is being tested this month aboard ESA’s parabolic flight aircraft.

Scientists said the experimental prototype launches in a compact configuration and then unfolds to provide a cost-effective space telescope.

The telescope is a project of the department of astronautics at Berlin’s Technical University.

We called our project the Dobson Space Telescope because we borrowed the idea from the Dobsonian telescopes used by amateur astronomers, said Project Manager Tom Segert. He said Dobsonian telescopes can be dismantled and transported by car to a good observing site, where there are reassembled.

Although Segert plans to use a motor to unfold his telescope, the first prototype used inflatable bicycle tires to push the mirrors into position. When that proved inadequate Segert turned to metal truss rods and micromechanics to unfold everything into its correct place.

Segert believes future Dobson Space Telescopes might be larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, but built at just a fraction of Hubble’s cost.

If we did that, says Segert, the astronomers would be in heaven.