Made-in-space telescopes

A space-based imaging system comprising

• an imaging mirror assembly,
• said mirror assembly further comprising a mirror support,
• said support comprising substantially a disk,
• said disk further comprising a top surface and a bottom surface,
• said top surface further comprising a substantially circular wall along its periphery,
• said wall perpendicular to said top surface and in cooperation therewith,
• said imaging system further comprising a substantially elongated counterweight boom,
• said boom perpendicular to said top surface of said disk,
• said boom disposed to face said top surface of said disk and extend distally from it,
• said boom in communication with said imaging system by its proximal terminus only,
• said imaging system capable of rotating along two orthogonal axes, namely, first axis and second axis, said first axis passing perpendicular to said top surface of said support and through combined center of gravity of said support and said boom, wherein a center of rotation around said second axis is through center of gravity of said support and said boom,
• said imaging system further comprising a dispensing mechanism for introducing liquid precursor material into said support to produce said mirror upon solidification,
• said mirror produced while said system is in space.

A method of producing while in space an imaging system based on a paraboloid mirror comprising the steps of:

• a. providing mirror support structure,
• said support structure comprising substantially a circular disk,
• said disk comprising two surfaces, namely, a top surface and a bottom surface,
• said disk further comprising a circular wall,
• said wall perpendicular to said top surface,
• said wall located along a periphery of said disk,
• said wall located on said top surface and in communication therewith,
• b. extending or generating a substantially elongated counterweight boom,
• said boom perpendicular to said top surface,
• said boom located along the line through the center of said top surface,
• said boom extending distally from said top surface of said disk,
• said boom in communication with said imaging system by its proximal terminus only,
• c. spinning said support structure around a first axis,
• said first axis perpendicular to said top surface of said disk and disposed through a center of combined mass of said disk and said boom,
• d. simultaneously spinning said support structure around a second axis,
• said second axis orthogonal to said first axis, wherein center of rotation around said second axis is through a center of combined mass of said disk and said boom,
• e. placing a mirror precursor material on said top surface of said disk,
• f. allowing said precursor material to assume a parabolic shape as a result of said structure spinning around said first and said second axes,
• g. subsequently allowing or causing said precursor material to solidify in said parabolic shape.