Light-Weight Replicated Optics

Replicated optics won their present acceptance in the commercial sector of the optical industry by having been extensively tested for space and aerospace use. Only by offering beyond the State of the Art hardware in the 1960's for aerospace applications, was it possible for an independent manufacturer to market replicated optics. This paper describes the fact that the choice and preparation of the substrate material for light weight replicated mirrors is the determining factor for satisfactory results, assuming, of course, that the replication process itself is skillfully mastered.