The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Laser induced damage to the coating of a precision beam-splitting mirror. This component is intended for use inside a high power laser system. The larger feature on the left is 0.14 mm long by 0.06 mm wide and about 5 microns deep. This is a good example of the type of damage to a coating that can occur due to repeated pulses from an high power laser beam interacting with the surface. In order to avoid this type of damage the optical coating quality, the surface cleanliness and the laser environment must be completely free from defects or contaminants of any kind. Defects within or on the coating surface at a submicroscopic level are not always possible to detect after coating manufacture. The only way to verify is to test under realistic conditions and determine if any damage occurs.