In vacou glass blowing and strength measurements

This research consists of studies that investigate physical properties and potential uses of glass relevant to the development of a large-aperture telescope that can be robotically manufactured and assembled in space. One experiment determined the effect of elevated temperature and a vacuum environment on the tensile strength of two candidate glass types for the telescope's optical elements. The other two experiments explored the basic feasibility of two manufacturing concepts for these optical elements. The first study demonstrated that a glass bubble can be blown through a ring in vacuum and that the bubble can be handled by manipulation of the ring. The second concept demonstration showed that a glass membrane can be pulled by an expanding metal iris.