Sister companies JENOPTIK Optical Systems, Inc. (Jupiter, FL) and MEMS Optical (Huntsville, AL) both supplied optics for NASA’s Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA).
LOLA is one of the payload instruments aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched June 18, 2009. LOLA’s primary purpose is to provide a precise global lunar topographic model and geodetic grid to aid future missions in selection of landing and exploration sites.
Aspheres for optical collection path
JENOPTIK Optical Systems fabricated and delivered aspheric telescope optics to Goddard Space Flight Center for LOLA's large collection telescope.
*Image from NASA LOLA site
Diffractive optical element (DOE) for optical transmit path
MEMS Optical delivered the diffractive beamsplitter that splits the laser pulse into 5 separate beams.
*Image from NASA LOLA site
LRO is the first mission in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration with objectives of finding safe landing sites, locating potential resources, characterizing the radiation environment, and demonstrating new technology.
LRO is also collecting data for it's sister mission LCROSS. LCROSS made headlines November 13th, 2009 when NASA announced data from the mission proves that water exists on the moon. LRO, launched on the same rocket as LCROSS, continues to make passes over the impact site on the moon and collect data.
Links to official NASA site with additional program information
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