Q&A – High-Powered Telescope Constellations Could Replace Orbital Observatories, Thanks to Thin Lenses

When NASA designed and launched the James Webb Space Telescope as a replacement for the aging Hubble, it followed a conventional idea: To make the telescope better, it had to be larger in order to be more precise. In fact, the James Webb’s primary mirror has about five times the collecting area of the Hubble’s. But in the future, orbital observatories may not need to grow in size to become more powerful, according to recent research suggesting that thinner lenses replace and improve upon bulky, expensive mirrors. SpaceRef caught up with Daniel Apai, Associate Dean for Research and professor of astronomy and planetary sciences at the University of Arizona, to talk about his radical concept to use thin, cheaper, and easier-to-make lenses to create a dazzling array of next-generation space telescopes that can work together as an observatory constellation — a concept he’s working to make reality.

The following conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.