E-300 Enhanced Collection System NASA is studying a proposed Next Generation Space Telescope.
Lightweight optics are of crucial importance in weight and cost reduction.
The purpose of the primary mirror in a telescope is to collect and focus the light. The telescope costs less and becomes easier to move around. The ratio of telescope weight to primary mirror is quite high. It is about 6 for space telescopes. If the mirror weight can be reduced by a factor x, then the overall telescope weight can be reduced by at least 6x.