The GOES satellite series will perform solar x-ray monitoring which provides early warning of solar flare events that could imperil satellite and astronaut operations. The need for high grating quality, and tight production deadlines, demand a robust, high-yield manufacturing process. Additional masking steps followed by nickel plating fabricate the mesh support structure, and a chemical etching step yields mesh or membrane-supported gratings suitable for space use. Additional processing is required to align and bond the gratings to frames suitable for space use.
Gratings undergo extensive testing before assembly into space instrumentation.