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Session 72 - Proposed Space Missions.
Display session, Wednesday, January 17
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center
An overview of a design concept for a highly cost effective telescope is presented which features an order of magnitude increase in light gathering power relative to the 10-meter class telescopes recently completed or currently under construction. The telescope is an Arecibo-type employing a segmented primary mirror 35 meters in diameter with a 28-meter pupil. The primary mirror array and the tracker system are supported on separate structures which mount to a common foundation. Azimuth rotation is achieved utilizing air bearings between observations. The total estimated cost for this telescope is on the order of $100 million, making it far less expensive than full-sky designs previously proposed. The ELT employs technology which has been successfully demonstrated in the construction of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.
