For European Southern Observetory (ESO), Mt. Cerro Paranal, Chile

The Very Large Telescope array (VLT) is the flagship facility for European ground-based astronomy. It consists of four Unit Telescopes which can be combined to form a giant astronomical interferometer, allowing astronomers to see details much finer than with the individual telescopes. The light beams are combined using a complex system of mirrors which is designed with only a few moving parts for readjustment. In cooperation with ASTRON Nova, SmarAct developed a compact precision positioner for the use in cryo environments after a previous solution became unavailable.
SmarAct’s compact positioning stages were combined with a guiding mechanism to perfectly fit Nova’s mirror design and to enable the successful commissioning of the equipment.

© ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org) (Image Credits)