Portuguese Companies Secure Contracts for World’s Most Advanced Telescope

Portuguese companies CRITICAL Software and ISQ have won significant contracts for the construction of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), the world’s most advanced optical telescope. The E-ELT, with a 39-meter main mirror, will revolutionize space observation by producing images 16 times clearer than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Key Takeaways

• E-ELT Overview: The telescope will have a 39-meter main mirror and collect 13 times more light than current largest ground-based optical telescopes.
• Portuguese Companies: CRITICAL Software and ISQ secured €1.5 million in service contracts for Phase 1 of the E-ELT project.
• Contract Details: CRITICAL Software will handle Independent Software Validation and Verification (ISV&V), while ISQ will focus on Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC).
• Global Impact: The E-ELT will address major scientific challenges, including the search for Earth-like exoplanets and understanding dark matter and dark energy.

The E-ELT Project

Dubbed "the world’s biggest eye on the sky," the E-ELT will feature a 39-meter main mirror and the ability to collect 13 times more light than the current largest ground-based optical telescopes. This revolutionary telescope will correct for atmospheric distortions, producing images 16 times clearer than those from the Hubble Space Telescope. Construction is set to begin in 2016, with the telescope expected to be operational by 2024.

Portuguese Companies’ Role

In a competitive tender launched by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) for Phase 1 of the E-ELT project, two Portuguese companies emerged victorious. CRITICAL Software and ISQ secured €1.5 million in service contracts, beating out international competitors from countries including Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Contract Specifics

• CRITICAL Software: The company will be responsible for Independent Software Validation and Verification (ISV&V) for the E-ELT program. This includes analyzing software requirements for the telescope control systems and preparing and implementing both manual and automatic tests.
• ISQ: ISQ’s contract involves verifying materials, parts, and final products through independent checks, surveillance, tests, and inspections. Their services will support ESO in Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) of the most critical structures and systems involved in the telescope’s construction and assembly.

Global Collaboration

The services provided by CRITICAL Software and ISQ will be crucial during the assembly, integration, and verification stages across several European countries and Brazil, as well as at the construction site on the 3060-meter high Cerro Amazones mountain in the Chilean Atacama Desert.

Scientific Impact

With the E-ELT, the international space science community will be able to tackle some of the greatest scientific challenges of our time. These include the search for Earth-like exoplanets, measuring the properties of the first galaxies and stars, and understanding the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Statements from Key Figures

Pedro Carneiro, Vice-president of the FCT Board of Directors and Portuguese representative on the ESO Council, stated, "CRITICAL Software and ISQ’s success are proof of the international competitiveness of our industry and a positive outcome of the liaison work carried out by the Portuguese delegation to ESO."

Paulo Chaves, Business Leader at ISQ, remarked, "This is an excellent result for all: ESO, Portugal, FCT, ISQ, and CRITICAL Software. ESO will benefit from the experience, competence, and vitality of two organizations that have stood out internationally in sectors dominated by companies based in countries considered to be technologically more developed."

Paulo Guedes, CRITICAL Software’s Business Development Director, added, "We are delighted to have been selected for the construction of the most advanced optical telescope in the world, with ISQ. This is a clear international acknowledgment of both ISQ’s work and ours—we have become well-established in extremely demanding business areas and markets."

Sources

• Portuguese companies win contracts for construction of the most advanced telescope in the world – FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – FCT.