A freeform-optics solution to laser guide-star adaptive optics wavefront sensing

Large ground based telescopes struggle to reach their full potential due to the blurring effect of the Earths atmosphere. Adaptive optics corrects for this blur, but current technological limitations restricts performance. Our concept reduces the cost and risk associated with a critical component of such systems, and will ensure telescopes such as the $1 Billion Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) are able to deliver image qualities ten times sharper than that currently achieved with the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.