Glyndwr Innovations Works With Chinese Academy Of Science On High Profile Opto-Engineering Project

Built in 2007 by Telescopic Technologies Ltd, the Lijiang telescope is situated in the Yunnan province of China. Weighing in at 35 tonnes and accurate to 1/3600th of a degree, it is primarily used for public outreach and scientific research within China as well as to fulfil international observational requests.

As part of the project, engineering staff from Glyndŵr Innovations spent two weeks on site at the Lijiang 2.4m telescope, where they assisted the Chinese Academy of Science in carrying out a full visual and operational inspection of the telescope and its subsystems. This included removing and recoating the 2.4m diameter mirror, which weighs 2 ¼ tonnes and is worth up to £1 million.

The work on the Lijiang telescope is the latest in a long line of prestigious contracts undertaken by Glyndŵr Innovations. The centre of excellence for the research, development and manufacture of highly specialised opto-mechanical technology is currently working on a prototype project for ESO’s planned E-ELT (European Extra Larger Telescope). Due to be constructed in Chile, the E-ELT will be the largest telescope anywhere in the world.

As Ian Baker, Engineering Manager at Glyndŵr Innovations, explains: “At Glyndŵr Innovations, we are committed to facilitating the success of opto-mechanical and optoelectronic engineering projects, wherever they are in the world. As a result, we were delighted to have the opportunity to build on our existing working relationship with the Chinese Academy of Science on the Lijiang telescope project.

“We pride ourselves on offering our partners cutting-edge technical capabilities as well as specialist knowledge of the sector. We look forward to building on the success of our most recent venture by extending our services to a wide range of international organisations.”