Macho Mengi: Ground-based Interferomet-
ric Telescope
Horace Bussey, Kevin Calvin, Darnell Cowan, George Kilgore, Michael McCullar
National Society of Black Engineers - Houston Space Chapter
The goal for NSBE’s small satellites projects is for bines multiple telescopes to act as a single large tele-
NSBE members to gain firsthand experience at design- scope. Interferometry is the technique of combining
ing, building, and operating satellites. This will be two or more waves in such a way that interference
accomplished by first designing a single space tele- occurs between them. If aligned properly the signal
scope (NSBESAT 1). The next phase will be to launch can become amplified or nullified. In the case of
NSBESAT 2 (an array of space telescopes that use interferometric telescopes, the goal is to amplify the
interferometry to act as a large
space telescope). Developing
an interferometric telescope
requires a higher degree of
experience and expertise than
designing a single telescope.
Currently our membership has
little to no experience with
this type of technology.
The Houston Space
Chapter’s “Macho Mengi”
Project will help solve this
problem. The goal of Macho
Mengi (which means ‘Many
Eyes’) is to gain technical
knowledge in the design and
construction of interferomet-
ric telescopes. Our objective
is to design and build a small
ground-based interferometric
telescope to be used as a pro-
light signal coming from separate telescopes to create
totype and training tool for our members. Becoming
images similar to that of a large telescope that has a
experts in interferometric telescopes is necessary in
mirror diameter equal to the distance between the
our vision to build NSBE’s first interferometric space
two separate telescopes.
telescope.
The Houston Space Chapter is going to build a
By building and operating an interferometric tele-
small interferometric telescope using four telescopes
scope, NSBE members will gain the necessary experi-
(a fifth as reference) for the purpose of understanding
ence and become subject matter experts to contribute
how to build and operate one here on earth, before
with the development of NSBESAT 2. Why are interfer-
we try doing this in space. We have divided up our
ometric telescopes important? Building increasingly
research into three phases. The first phase is to build a
larger telescopes for deep space viewing has limited
tabletop sized prototype that combines just two opti-
the size of single telescopes to due to the physical and
cal paths using only mirrors to view an artificial target.
logistical challenges of their design and placement.
This will be accompanied by a paper of our planned
work on interferometric telescope arrays. We are
An interferometric telescope is a device that com-
basing this simple prototype off a published paper
26 • Alumni Arsenal | November 2009 The Official Magazine of the NSBE Alumni Extension
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