Join us for in-person courses at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation. Topics include systems engineering, cryo-vacuum design, modern optical testing, and applied probability for systems engineers, MEMS for optical experts, and visible and NIR spectrograph design and development.
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This course introduces a novel function-based systems engineering methodology tailored for the design of astronomical instruments and control system architectures. Its primary aim is to provide participants with a structured, repeatable process, built around functional requirements for developing robust and traceable system architectures. The course is highly exercise-driven: participants will progressively design the system architecture of an astronomical instrument, learning how functional analysis informs concept development, technical performance requirements, and ultimately the ability of the system to meet its science objectives.
Modern astronomical observatories are becoming larger and more complex with many components working together to achieve the common goal of gathering useful information for astro-scientists. Successful engineering of these observatories is enabled by following a systems engineering viewpoint of looking at the whole. This viewpoint requires a multidisciplinary breadth and the ability to find a balance among 1) the system user's needs and desires, 2) the manager's funding and schedule constraints, and 3) the capabilities and ambitions of the engineering specialists who develop and build the system. The system engineer is sometimes described as the person on the program who should know the partial derivative of every parameter of the system with respect to every other parameter. This course introduces the concepts and models that are used to evolve a system from an abstract vision to the final validated and verified operational system. Examples are given that provide insight into the variety of engineering disciplines and typical subsystems found in observatories for optical astronomy observatories (X-ray through IR).
This probabilistic methodology of performance budgeting should be a tool in every engineer’s tool kit as it is fundamental to understanding how system design impacts the probability of successful. This course explains basic principles for the use of probability analysis applied to systems engineering problems. Specific attention is given to the central problem of performance budgeting. A primary goal of the course is explaining the logic, construction and application of performance and error budgeting. Examples are taken from various problems in systems engineering of astronomical and laser systems. This course will be of benefit to anyone who wants to answer the question, “what are the chances of success of my project?” and “how can I change the design maximize the probability of success?”, “how do I allocate tolerances?”, “how do I explain the uncertainties in performance?”
Polarized Light and Optical Systems surveys polarization effects in optical systems. The fundamental tool for imaging system design is ray tracing. For polarization critical systems this is generalized to polarization ray tracing which propagate Jones vectors and Stokes parameter through polarizing interfaces. Polarization elements and effects, including retardance and diattenuation (for polarizers), traced with Jones matrices and their 3D analog Polarization Ray Tracing (PRT) for ray tracing calculations and coherent (interferometric) analysis. Mueller matrices for incoherent calculations. Similarly, Mueller matrices are used for most optical system polarization metrology, for example to compare systems with polarization specifications. Examples of PRT are shown for a the most common and important polarization effects: polarizer and retarder films, multilayer isotropic thin films, anisotropic materials and films, anisotropic multilayers, liquid crystals, diffractive optical elements, stress birefringence, and uniaxial and biaxial crystals. The resulting polarization patterns are analyzed as polarization aberrations, which are adversely affect many optical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). For example, the PSF becomes a Point Spread Matrix and the MTF or OTF becomes an Optical Transfer Matrix.
This course explains the basic principles required for the design of a cryogenic system. It introduces the main laws to evaluate the heat load on a cryostat. The course provides a detailed process on how to design a cryogenic instrument and introduces the various means of cryogenic cooling. This course, in contrast to traditional cryogenic courses, directly addresses the case of ground-based astronomy, and is based on more than 30 years of experience designing and building instruments for one of the most important astronomical institutes. The course shows a number of real examples including a few mistakes and solutions on how to avoid them. The course also addresses the basics of vacuum technology, and reviews the various evacuation systems available today. A specific chapter is also dedicated on outgassing and how to reduce it.
A growing part of ground based astronomical instruments are dedicated to near infrared observations. This means always increasing need to deal with mechanism and optics operating in vacuum and cryogenic environment. This course explains the main difference between an instrument operated at ambient temperature in air and an instrument operated under vacuum and at cryogenic temperature. The course presents a set of technical solutions which have been developed in order to deal with the constraints of this specific environment. The course addresses a parts on pure mechanics with a number of example of mechanisms including lessons learned over the time. The second part discusses optomechanical problems encountered with the differential expansion coefficient and give also practical example of stress free mounting for optical components. This is based on more than 30 years of experience designing and building instruments for one of the world's most important astronomical institutes.
Segmented primary mirrors, first implemented on large facilities such as Keck, are now increasingly considered for 4-m-class telescopes as a cost-effective alternative to monolithic mirrors. Modern manufacturing enables thin, lightweight hexagonal segments that reduce structural mass and improve thermal behavior, including mitigation of mirror seeing. A central challenge, however, remains segment alignment and phasing. Very large telescopes require extremely tight tolerances, but medium-size telescopes, depending on whether they are intended for spectroscopy, survey work, seeing-limited imaging, or AO-assisted performance, can often operate with significantly relaxed requirements. Even diffraction-limited goals may be achieved with moderate phasing accuracy when supported by adaptive optics. This course addresses exactly this design space. Participants will be introduced to the underlying optical theory and will learn to use a Python-based modeling tool (with an optional MATLAB version) that computes the optical performance and error budget of segmented-mirror telescopes of any size. The tool accounts for segment misalignments, surface figure errors, system aberrations, and optional AO correction. It enables designers to explore trade-offs, optimize parameters, and avoid unnecessary overspecification. Example applications, including the preliminary design of an 18-segment 4-m telescope, will be demonstrated and evaluated both with and without adaptive optics.
This course introduces the rich world of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and explains basic working principles and applications of MEMS devices, with specific attention to the needs of an optical community. The principal goal of the course is to present systematically MEMS solutions for typical sensing and actuation problems found on the microscale. All the information is supported by actual industrial and academic examples. Anyone who wants to know more about MEMS and to use them to build next-generation optical systems (in open space or in a photonic circuit) will benefit from attending this course.
This course describes the basic interferometry techniques used in the evaluation of optical components and optical systems. It discusses interferogram interpretation, computer analysis, and phase-shifting interferometry, as well as various commonly used wavefront-measuring interferometers. The instructor describes specialized techniques such as testing windows and prisms in transmission, 90-degree prisms and corner cubes, measuring index inhomogeneity, and radius of curvature. Testing cylindrical and aspheric surfaces, determining the absolute shape of flats and spheres, and the use of infrared interferometers for testing ground surfaces are also discussed. The course also covers state-of-the-art direct phase measurement interferometers.
This course provides attendees with an introduction to aerial spectrograph design and development for astronomy. The course covers the optical fundamentals that constrain spectrograph design; various components that make up a spectrograph for astronomy; and the various system configurations for different applications along with the associated performance analysis. The course includes several design examples including a group-based design project whose goals are to develop a first-order spectrograph design given a set of astronomical constraints and then to determine the specific design parameters for each component that would be given to a lens designer to complete a detailed design. Specific concepts to be addressed include: image quality, throughput, flexure, performance modeling and system testing.
SPIE Members receive discounts on courses which are applied at the time of registration. SPIE Student Members receive even greater discounts on courses, particularly during early registration.
Register for courses before the Early Bird registration deadline (19 June 2026) and receive an additional 15% discount on top of all applicable Membership savings.
Not an SPIE Member? Purchase Membership with your registration and receive your discount right away.
For more information contact courses@spie.org.
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A course notes PDF will be emailed to you the week before the start of the event. PDF copies apply to SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentatiuon only. Some courses may include textbooks. Check the course descriptions for more information.
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No, there is no option to attend an in-person course virtually. The course will also not be recorded. You must take the course onsite at the specified time.
SPIE has a broad portfolio of online courses. These courses are versions of our live courses, taught by the same experts, but accessible at a time and place that work for you. However, not all of our conference courses are available in this format.
To see the current list of online offerings and for more information, visit SPIE Online Courses.
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