This experiment was the first-ever demonstration of optical  component manufacturing in space. This demonstration is crucial for  developing in-space manufacturing capabilities and as a stepping stone toward  building ultra-large fluidic space telescopes. On Earth, optical components are manufactured using heavy, energy-intensive  milling and polishing processes, which produce significant waste and are  unsuitable for the conditions of space. However, future space missions, such  as those to Mars, will require complete self-sufficiency, and crews will need  the ability to manufacture various optical components used on board the spacecraft, from astronaut eyewear to sensors and cameras, without returning  to Earth. NASA is interested in this method for its potential uses for  building giant space telescopes, the size of which is currently limited by  the size of the launch vehicle.  

Eytan Stibbe has demonstrated that by controlling the surface tension of  fluids in microgravity, outstanding-quality optical components can be  manufactured in space. He even solidified the liquid lenses using polymers  and returned them to Earth for analysis. This experiment was accompanied by  an in-space educational demonstration in which astronauts made a lens from water,  with students on Earth conducting a similar experiment in their classrooms.

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