30 Dec 2021

James Webb Telescope Launch is Successful

The James Webb space telescope successfully launched into the vastness of space Christmas day this year. This journey was long in the making, beginning back in 1996 when the telescope was first conceived by NASA. The shuttle transporting Webb took off at 12:20am UTC in French Ghana and the telescope is now on its way to becoming the successor to the Hubble. The initial live stream on YouTube ran for 2 hours and 17 minutes, allowing people around the globe to watch the journey unfold in real time. Webb will travel 100 million miles into orbit, taking approximately 29 days to reach its intended target, but will not be officially declared fully operational until approximately 180 days after the launch. Multiple attempts to launch have happened in the last few years, but with equipment delays, storms, and the ongoing pandemic, it was postponed several times. But all that waiting has finally paid off and the telescope is now on its way into orbit. The next step, which will take over six months, will be gradually unfolding the telescope’s massive mirrors, which are each the size of several football fields. Following that is aligning the mirrors and cooling them to an immensely cold -380°F.

Lenox Laser was directly involved in manufacturing components for the Webb, providing precise alignment targets for the infrared imaging system to assist with the readings it takes while scanning for the innermost secrets of our universe. You can read about other NASA projects we have been involved in on our blog. It has been an immense honor for us to be part of such an important scientific endeavor. The telescope is 100 times more powerful than Hubble and is expected to take on the task of filling in missing pieces of the Big Bang mystery that have eluded scientists for many years.

Webb marks the largest telescope ever put in space, being roughly the size of a large truck at 43.5 feet long and 14.2 feet in diameter, and cost of over $10 billion to construct. Scientists are looking at the 344 mechanisms on board the telescope as potentially 344 points of failure, meaning that each of them must strike the right balance in the first attempt, with no chance at sending repair crews to the telescope if a fault occurs. Everyone on the team at NASA are optimistic that deployment will be successful however, and with any hope the James Webb Space Telescope will revolutionize our understanding of the universe, giving us viewpoints never before possible.

Visit NASA’s website for more information and to keep up with all the latest updates on this monumental journey.

NASA Chief discusses the James Webb Telescope after launch
23 Sep 2021

Visit us at PACK Expo 2021 in Las Vegas

The annual PACK expo is making a triumphant return to Las Vegas live and in person September 27th to the 29th at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Lenox Laser could not be more excited to attend this event. There are so many amazing highlights this year including a dedicated packaging robot which is the first of its kind by Schubert Group, industry first early 1900s liquid filling machines, and the innovative gluing machine that was sold to Abbott Labs in 1937. A variety of manufacturers will be on hand from all areas of the packaging industry. From Coca-Cola, to pharmaceutical, to candy companies, they will all be there showing those in attendance the latest and greatest innovations in packaging and product innovation. Learn about maximizing profits to get the best out of the product and audience that they sell to. In person workshops and live demonstrations will be happening to give a first-hand account of what goes on behind the scenes to give consumers the products they hold tried-and-true in their everyday lives. While there, you can learn about cost-effective digital printing solutions for any packaging business.  

For our part of the expo, Lenox Laser will be excited to show guests our Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT) methods in a live talk and demonstration session taking you through the various stages of packaging testing that we do on a weekly basis. Our CCIT methods allow us to laser drill calibrated microleaks to test the durability of critical packaging and containers. We drill a wide variety of metals, alloys, plastics, glass, and composites. We test under many different conditions, whether open or closed, sealed or not. The utmost care and safety standards are delivered to our customers every time. 

Look for us at booth number 6817 as we proudly show you just one of our company’s many services held in high esteem for over 40 years now. We are excited to be a part of this massively popular show within the packaging industry and we sincerely thank all involved at PACK for having us as a guest speaker, we will be thrilled to see you there. 

Click here to visit the PACK Expo site for more information.

To join Lenox Laser at the event, register to attend, here.

12 Aug 2021

Perseverance Faces Setback Following Initial Collection Attempt

In an unfortunate turn of events, the Mars Perseverance rover has hit a snag while attempting to collect its first sample of Martian rock for analysis. Data sent to Earth indicated that the sample collection tube was empty after the collection process concluded. The team at NASA responsible for overseeing the mission are currently investigating the issue to determine the best course of action moving forward with future sample collection. They plan to utilize the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera located on the rover’s arm to collect initial data about the bore site in the hopes of drawing conclusions as to why the sample was not collected. The team remains optimistic that they will find a solution and be able to move forward with the mission. 

NASA has run into similar issues attempting to sample extraterrestrial matter in the past. The Phoenix mission sampled “sticky” soil that made collection and transport difficult, requiring multiple attempts before being successful. Curiosity encountered problems with Martian rock being harder and more brittle than expected. Most recently, the heat probe of the InSight lander failed to penetrate Mars’s surface as planned. 

Efforts are ongoing to formulate procedures moving forward with future sampling attempts. Success will provide scientists with immeasurable information about Mars and the possibility of, not just past microbial life, but also the viability of human colonization. 

To read more about this latest update from NASA, click here. 

If you are interested in last week’s blog covering the Perseverance Rover, click here. 

To read about Lenox Laser’s past involvement with space exploration efforts, click here. 

22 Jul 2021

Join Lenox Laser at 2021 PACK EXPO

The 2021 PACK EXPO will be one of the first major in-person healthcare product events since the COVID-19 lockdown last year. The expo will encompass many different companies and experts in the healthcare field discussing various packaging and processing methods. It is estimated that over 20,000 experts will be in attendance when the event takes place this September 27-29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. PACK is expected to have an estimated 1,500 exhibitors showing off their products. Topics covered will include cost-effective digital printing solutions in pharmaceuticals, recyclable, and bio-based packaging. The expo will also have an exhibit that will take visitors through the evolution of processing and packaging in the pharmaceutical industry and more. The expo sponsors and hosts include the Reusable Packaging Association, the National Confectioners Association, and many more.

Lenox Laser will be in attendance at booth #6817, showcasing our Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT) methods and services, which we have continued to evolve in our excellent 40 years in business. We are privileged and very honored to be a part of the expo and cannot wait for you all to see what we have in store. Given the immense challenge 2020 presented, an event like this will prove significant. To all those attending and showcasing, we hope you enjoy the expo and send our best wishes. See you in September. 

For more information and registration on PACK EXPO, please click here. You can join Lenox Laser at PACK EXPO using our comp code here.

25 Mar 2021

NASA and SpaceX International Space Station Agreement

The International Space Station (ISS) has a storied history. It took over 30 missions and thousands of person-hours to complete. It was clear that The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would need a space station to study the vastness of space in minute detail in the space age. The ISS began its construction in 1998 when the first segment launching in a Russian proton rocket on November 20 of that year. NASA engineers completed the massive station’s main parts in 2011, and the station has been occupied by astronauts and scientists since 2000. The ISS now enters its Golden age with a new agreement between SpaceX and NASA. 

The agreement allows SpaceX and NASA to work on any project together for the space station. The Starlink program by SpaceX, which is now the largest existing on the orbiting spacecraft group, is also part of the agreement. SpaceX recently launched 60 additional satellites for their internet network on March 24. This agreement is important as it allows both parties to work smoothly and in unison.

NASA’s taxi ride program, which is still in development with SpaceX, will allow quick and easy transport to and from the ISS on shorter missions. If all goes to plan, this taxi ride program could launch sometime in 2022 with NASA’s approval. Should the taxi ride program be successful, companies would plan additional missions, up to two per year, lasting a month each. Boeing is also interested in partnering on this venture.

This agreement is a huge step forward in the history of space exploration. It will be exciting to see what can be achieved in the future of the ISS. It will also help strengthen and speed up communication between the two parties. SpaceX is an upcoming launch on April 22 for the Falcon 9 Crew 2 mission.

If you wish to read more, click here for an article by TechCrunch and here for an article by phys.org.

28 May 2020

SpaceX Crew Dragon Launch Update

With storms raging across Florida’s “Space Coast,” the SpaceX decided against the launch of its Crew Dragon shuttle on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020. SpaceX has stated that there will be another chance to launch the spacecraft on Saturday, May 30th, 2020, if the weather permits it. However, this seems to also be in doubt with weather forecasts – until the time of writing – predict more stormy weather to hang over the site of the launch on Saturday. Should Saturday also turn out to be not an optimal day for the launch, SpaceX will push it to the next day – Sunday, May 31st, 2020. This news has hit the two astronauts of the Crew Dragon space shuttle the hardest.

Astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken have been training for the past four years in anticipation of the world’s first privately funded spaceship. As if it were routine, they put on their suits and went to the launch pad. After talking with their respective families and buckling in for the launch, they awaited the go-ahead from command to begin the launch sequence. Meanwhile, SpaceX leaders were anticipating the final call from the forecasters, who had remained optimistic all day, despite the bad weather. Ten minutes before launch, however, the mission managers overseeing the launch received word that weather conditions would not improve and, therefore, had to cancel the launch. Both NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and SpaceX founder Elon Musk both stated that mission safety was of higher priority than the historical significance of the mission.

4 Oct 2012

3rd International Light Seminar

Lenox Laser’s 3rd International Light Seminar

Guest Speakers

Steven Sasson
Inventor of the Digital Camera
Awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2009)

Topic: “Disruptive Innovation – The Story of the First Digital Camera”

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9YJq-1i6a8[/embedyt]

Please visit IIOPTICS.ORG for more information.

4 Oct 2011

2nd International Light Seminar

Lenox Laser’s 2nd International Light Seminar

Guest Speakers

DR. ALEXANDER E. DUDELZAK
Senior Scientist, Canadian Space Agency

“Novel Concepts & Application of Lidar: From the Bottom of the Ocean to Mars”

DR. JOHN C. MATHER
Nobel Laureate 2006 Physics
Senior Astrophysicist & Goddard Fellow, NASA
Senior Project Scientist, James Webb Space Telescope

“The Big Bang Theory” and the James Webb Space Telescope

[embedyt]https://youtu.be/rlGlOyG2FrA?list=PLCFD4859FBF4C0527[/embedyt]

DR. REZA SARHANGI
Professor of Mathematics, Towson University
President – “Bridges: Mathematical Connections in Art, Music & Science”

Please visit IIOPTICS.ORG for more information.

4 Oct 2010

1st Annual Light Seminar

Lenox Laser’s 1st Annual Light Seminar

Guest Speakers

DR. CHARLES HARD TOWNES
Nobel Prize Winner and Inventor of the MASER, Forerunner to the LASER

“How New Things Happen”

[embedyt]https://youtu.be/-37JB111n6Y?list=PL9A63E78C30C6170C[/embedyt]

DR. JOHN WOOD
NASA’S Spokesperson for “The Hubble”