Epner Technology's Laser Black Chosen for NASA's Solar Magnetospheric Multiscale Science Mission
Epner Technology, Inc. is proud to have been selected by the Southwest Research Institute, based in San Antonio, to provide its unmatched experience and quality services for NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Science mission (MMS), under their Solar Terrestrial Probe (STP) program. The mission is currently in the preliminary design stage and is scheduled to launch August 2014. Their objective will be to investigate and acquire in-depth data on magnetic reconnection. "MMS will determine the small-scale basic plasma processes which transport, accelerate and energize plasmas in thin boundary and current layers - and which control the structure and dynamics of the Earth's magnetosphere. MMS will pave the way for future Constellation-type missions (Southwest Research Institute)."
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is managing the MMS mission, with a number of contributing working groups, such as Southwest Research Institute, Lockheed Martin, UCLA and UC Berkley, among others. As one NASA engineer put it, "NASA is flying the bus, and the other instruments are the kids."
Epner's contribution to the MMS process proved to be a critical performance enhancement by coating the "heart" of the Electrostatic analyzer, which filters out electron particles, specifically with Laser Black, which in the end met and even exceeded initial expectations by the MMS project team. The "heart," a black shield component, as President David Epner states, "is a perfect example of the marriage of Laser Gold's ultra high infrared reflectivity and Laser Black's ultra low absorption of those same wavelengths of light." Laser Black is a multi-layer metallic oxide. Its deep velvety-black surface is somewhat fragile since it achieves its remarkable absorption by creating a micro/nano dendritic structure on the optical surface that "seems to swallow light." Laser Gold®, while normally applied for its unique low thermal emissivity, in this case, when plated over electro-less nickel, is an ideal masking material to protect the substrate aluminum from the hot, highly caustic Laser Black solution. The gold needs no protection when the black is being processed.
About Epner Technology, Inc.
2010 is Epner's One Hundredth anniversary! Epner Technology, Inc. has steadily evolved from a simple jewelry repair shop into a world-renowned, high-tech specification plating company. Our Laser Gold infrared reflective coating has no peer and had been the NIST standard for some 20 years. The company was founded in 1910, and is still under third generation family management. Epner has been "pushing the envelope" of specification plating for the aerospace, defense, optics, electronics, medical, and semi-conductor industries. Epner Technology works in accordance with all applicable ASTM, AMS, MIL, and Customer Specifications, and currently maintains a NADCAP certification for Chemical Processing and Aerospace Quality Systems (ISO 9001:2008).
Contact:
David Epner
President
Epner Technology, Inc.
Phone: (718)-782-5948
info@epner.com
