Marposs and high-precision laser measurement instrument specialists Aeroel have marked a new milestone. The duo’s laser micrometre has been successfully integrated into an automated fibre optic production line at the International Space Station (ISS).
The laser micrometre was sent into space as part of the NASA Cygnus NG-20 resupply mission, which was sent into orbit in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The quality control and precision measurement solutions provider claims the project aims to “test its glass drawing processes in microgravity conditions to produce ZBLAN optical fibres free of defects induced by terrestrial gravity.”
The device, previously used in the industrial measurement of wires and cables, was optimised and tested to withstand the vibrations and accelerations it would face during the launch phase of the Falcon 9 rocket. Throughout production, the diameter of the optical fibre was continually measured to ensure the quality of the optical fibres that would be produced in space.
The sensor model used at the ISS will measure objects from 30 micrometres with a measurement repeatability (accuracy) of 30 nanometres. Marposs believes that this project will allow for the “production of optical fibres with unprecedented quality in space.”