Sagem Défense Sécurité: a new telescope for the University of Moscow’s Sternberg Astronomical Institute
Sagem Défense Sécurité | Philippe Wodka-Gallien | Tel : 01 58 11 19 49 | philippe.wodka-gallien@sagem.com
Paris – January 15, 2007
Sagem Défense Sécurité (SAFRAN Group) signed a contract in the beginning of December with MAVEG Industrieausrüstungen GmbH – the representative of the University of Moscow’s Sternberg Astronomical Institute – to develop an automated astronomical telescope with a 2.5m aperture.
As the prime contractor, Sagem Défense Sécurité’s REOSC department will take on the program design as well as production of the telescope’s optics.
The project includes: the telescope with the Alt-Azimutale mounting, the dome and its climatization system, the weather station, the high-resolution observation camera and the realization, transport and installation on-site at the Kislovodsk solar station (Caucasus), plus initial training for operators. All will be delivered by summer 2009.
Controlled via the internet, the telescope will allow Russia to train doctors in astronomy, participate in international research projects and draw up the future specifications of a larger and more advanced telescope.
The REOSC department has acquired a worldwide reputation in high-performance astronomics optics. Among its achievements is the 8m wide monolithic mirror for the European Very Large Telescope, installed in Chile, and the 11m wide mirror for the Gran Telescopio de Canarias.
These mirrors, which are polished with a precision of about ten nanometers, are the result of a unique know-how in high-resolution optics that stretches back several decades.
Involved in major programs, the REOSC department develops and manufactures high-performance spatial optics, high-energy lasers or microelectronics. With this contract, Sagem Défense Sécurité demonstrates its ability to design and offer the scientific community complete high-performance systems that contain rich multidisciplinary expertise.
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Sagem Défense Securité is a high-technology company in the SAFRAN Group. As a leading European defense and security electronics company in Europe, its business covers three main fields: navigation and aeronautics systems, where it is the world leader in helicopter flight control; optronics and air-land systems, where it is the European leader in surveillance and fire-control optronics; and the field of security, where it is the world leader in fingerprint-based biometrics.
Its equipment and integrated systems are used worldwide, helping to ensure air transport safety, secure data transmission, personal security and governmental defense capabilities at the highest level. Through the SAFRAN Group, Sagem Défense Sécurité is present on all continents.
