AMOS will work on the design of the Giant Magellan Telescope!

The company Amos, located in the heart of the Liege science park in Sart-Tilman, has been chosen as the main sub-contractor for the design of part of the frame for the "Giant Magellan Telescope", a massive tool that is launching the new generation of giant observatories of unprecedented power. For example, the resolution power of this telescope is 10 times greater than that of Hubble and its primary mirror will be 25 metres!

Amos has developed and manufactured tailor-made high-precision optical and mechanical equipment for more than 30 years. Its know-how allows it to employ more than 100 people highly qualified in cutting-edge technologies and, in particular, offers its services to the space industry and professional astronomy. Therefore, it is only natural that it has been awarded a contract to help in the design of the frame for one of the largest telescopes in the world.

Indeed, the tenders for the design of the main sub-systems have just been launched by the "Giant Magellan Telescope Office" (GMTO) in California, which is coordinating an international consortium of leading universities and scientific institutions. The largest contract concerns the 1,400-tonne metal frame that will form the skeleton for the telescope. It will be 39 metres high and more than 26 metres wide. Two independent consortiums have been commissioned by GMTO to design this frame. One, directed by MT Mechatronics GmbH (Germany), has chosen AMOS as the main sub-contractor. The latter will be in charge of the active cells that support the seven 8.4-metre diameter mirrors and, together, will form the telescope's primary mirror; as well as the "Gregorian Rotator" instrument, a 9-metre rotating cylinder that will support the optical instruments at the heart of the telescope.

According to Philippe Gilson, CEO of AMOS, this contract shows, once again, that the Liege-based company is recognised on an international level as a reference in the design and manufacturing of professional telescopes. Indeed, in 2016, AMOS achieved a turnover of €18 million, including more than 90% for export. The company has many customers in Europe (ESA, Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence & Space, etc.) as well as in the United States and India and it plans to expand into markets such as China, Turkey and Russia, which it probably will do soon!