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Spinoff story
Beryllium Blazes New Trail for Telescopes
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
For the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors, Goddard Space Flight Center needed a lightweight, durable material that would maintain a stable shape at frigid temperatures. The answer: beryllium, which is stiff and doesn’t change size at temperatures below about -300 °F. Mayfield Heights, Ohio-based Materion Corporation, one of the top beryllium-producing companies in the world, created new tools and adapted its unique processes to make such large components. The work resulted in a new capability and a new industry standard for beryllium for space applications.