The Next Generation Space Telescope will also use very light-weight, segmented mirrors to create a single mirror almost four times larger than Hubble's. The development of advanced, light-weight, flexible materials is critical to the Origins Program. Our idea is to design a telescope that can be folded up and stowed in a launch vehicle and then unfolded once the telescope is in orbit. In that way, we can achieve a much larger and powerful telescope than Hubble. By solving the weight problem, however, we run into new challenges.
Lightweight structures are incredibly susceptible to vibrations.
A traditional telescope has a strong, solid structure that keeps the mirrors in place, but a lightweight structure will tremble with the slightest motion. We will need complex computer control systems that can detect and suppress the slightest movement. That is incredibly important because vibrations can cause an image to smear, much like it would if your hands shook too much when taking a picture. More than that, however, vibrations can propogate throughout the whole system, as each part interacts closely with the next. We wouldn't want the lightweight structure to shake itself apart, so we will need incredibly accurate laser measuring systems to detect and control atomic-sized motions.