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AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems)
Company Description
AMOS was launched in 1983 and is specialised in design & manufacturing to a very high accuracy opto-mechanical systems. They are mainly delivered to space industry as well as professional astronomy and divided into 3 categories: Equipment to test satellite on the ground; On board equipment flying on board satellites, probes or the Space Shuttle; Equipment for professional astronomy ordered by worldwide astronomers.
Contact Information
 Rue des Chasseurs Ardennais 2
Angleur Liege
Belgium
Press Releases
| AMOS – The telescope factory
Amos is processing this year a large variety of telescopes for worldwide observatories. All are progressing well and are at different stage of completeness. An instantaneous but non exhaustive picture is provided hereunder.
- In charge of the MAST (Multi Application Solar Telescope – 0.5m primary - India) design and manufacturing, AMOS has successfully delivered the telescope and its related equipment at USO (Udaipur Solar Observatory) Campus on the Udaipur lake shore. Transportation on the island, integration and testing will be completed after 2012 monsoon.
- The DOT (Devasthal Optical Telescope – 3.6m primary - India) is completely erected within AMOS workshop. After a sky test at the factory itself, the 150 tonnes and 17 meters high telescope passed the factory acceptance with ARIES team as well as with outstanding scientists designated by the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology. It is now ready for dismounting, packing, transport. Assembly, integration and site testing will start after 2012 monsoon.
- The PS2 (PanStarrs - 1.8m primary - USA) is under manufacturing. Large components as i.e.: fork, tube and azimuth bearing are completed. Assembly and integration will take place during the next two months.
- The M1 Cell of ATST (Advanced technology Solar telescope – 4.0m primary - USA) is under design at AMOS engineering office. About to get the PDR approval, the FDR of that active support cell will still take place this year.
- The OAJ (Observatorio Astronomico de Javalambre – 2.5m primary wide field - Spain) telescopes are progressing well. Both mechanical components and the 2.5m primary are under manufacturing at AMOS as well as the 0.8m primary.
- The ILMT (International Liquid Mirror Telescope – 4.0 primary)) ordered by University of Liège (ULg - Institute of Astronomy) is completed and has been delivered on site (ARIES – Devasthal – India). |
| Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre
The CEFCA (Center for the Study of Physics of the Cosmos of Aragon) recently awarded the contract for construction of the Javalambre Astronomical Observatory to Belgian company AMOS S.A. with its Spanish partner TORRESCAMARA.
The purpose of the Observatory of Javalambre (Teruel, Spain) is to provide state-of-the-art facilities for performing extensive campaigns of astrophysical sky survey, as required by the current developments in observational cosmology. It is by the way intended to benefit from the outstanding features of the Pico del Buitre site seeing to optimize the data retrieval rate and yield a leading place to this observatory in the universe scientific quest. Two telescopes will be operated on the site.
The 2.5m telescope (T250) will then aim at combining a large collecting surface with a wide field of view (3 deg) for reaching a vast étendue, which is the relevant parameter for surveys, while ensuring an optical imaging quality compatible with the site seeing and a suitable depth in the sky sighting. These features will help the main scientific objectives be successfully conducted (for instance the weak gravitational lensing detection for dark matter characterization) as part of an international cooperation for the creation of huge databases of observational data.
The T250 will be complemented by a 0.8m telescope (T80), which will provide the radiometric/photometric calibrations needed for the optimization of the T250 accuracy. Thanks to its earlier commissioning, this telescope will also serve as training equipment for the observatory personnel in the perspective of the T250.
AMOS is in charge of delivery of the two telescopes. Taking advantage of the know-how acquired in optics (including manufacturing), mechanics, mechatronics and software, AMOS has developed an integrated development approach -from the design to the commissioning on-site- based on a collaborative system engineering methodology. The T250 telescope will be designed, manufactured, and tested at AMOS premises. It will weigh 40 tons for a height of 6.5 m. The 2.5 m diameter primary mirror will entirely be manufactured in-house.
The Spanish company TORRESCAMARA, located in Teruel, will on its side be responsible for civil engineering, control center dedicated to astronomers as well as for buildings and for domes housing the scientific equipment.
Taking part to the delivery of a turnkey observatory is another breakthrough for AMOS in the world of astronomy. |
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