Congress should reject the Navy’s plan to increase the gaps between new carriers.
Thin film coating can be applied to magnesium alloys for aerospace and optics applications.
Sometimes, seeing clearly requires complete black. For astronomy and precision optics, coating devices in black paint can cut down on stray light, enhancing images and boosting performance. For the most advanced telescopes and optical systems, every little bit matters, so their manufacturers seek out the blackest blacks to coat them.
In the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed an ultrablack thin-film coating for aerospace-grade magnesium alloys. Their coating absorbs 99.3% of light while being durable enough to survive in harsh conditions.
For telescopes operating in the vacuum of space, or optical equipment in extreme environments, existing coatings are often insufficient.