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Spinoff story
Laser Vision Helps Hubble, Package Shippers See Clearly
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In preparation for a repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched with a misshapen mirror, Goddard Space Flight Center issued a call for optics companies to accurately measure replacement parts. AOA Xinetics, a division of Northrop Grumman Corporation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, created a tool to detect mirror defects, which it has incorporated into a commercial 3D imaging system. Among its applications is a package detection device now used by all major shipping companies.