Legor’s sustainable gold reaches the space with NASA’s Asthros telescope made by Media Lario

We have been talking about stellar properties of metals for several years, but we never expected to reach the space!

Legor’s sustainable gold was in fact used by Media Lario – a Lecco-based manufacturer of components and optical systems for space telescopes – for the creation of a telescope in collaboration with the US space agency NASA.

Media Lario and NASA have been collaborating for more than two years on the design and construction of the Asthros (Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths) telescope, which will be sent out of the atmosphere with the aim of studying star formation and new planets. The launch is scheduled for December 2023 from NASA Base Camp near Mcmurdo Station in Antarctica. Asthros will fly for 21-28 days, outside the atmosphere, in a stratospheric balloon 40,000 meters above Antarctica.

But what is Legor’s role in this space partnership?

For the coating of the primary and secondary mirrors of the parabolic antenna that makes up the telescope, Media Lario has chosen to use Legor’s GY2P yellow gold galvanic solution produced with precious metals from 100% recycled sources. Not only, therefore, the telescope is made of carbon fiber, a very light and highly technological material, but the gold it is coated with is one of the Legor Magic 5, 100% recycled precious metals and within the Chain of Custody.

Legor has always been a company with an eye to the future, dedicated to technological innovation, but above all responsible, and projects like this – in synergy with valuable partners – prove it.