High-performance piezo actuators drive the fast steering mirror (FSM) on the Coronagraph Instrument’s fine-pointing system
SHREWSBURY, Mass., Sept. 29, 2026 / — PI (Physik Instrumente), a global supplier of nanopositioning and precision motion control technology, contributed piezoelectric actuators that drive a fast-steering mirror in the Coronagraph Instrument aboard NASA’s Roman Space Telescope. NASA has confirmed that initial checks of the Coronagraph Instrument were successful following its activation in space. The instrument remains in commissioning as Roman travels toward the Sun–Earth L2 point. PI also contributed multiple precision motion solutions employed over the last decade during the design and test phase of the telescope.
Roman launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on August 30, 2026. Once fully commissioned, the observatory will conduct wide-field surveys to study dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets, with first science observations expected in early 2027.
At the center of the Coronagraph Instrument’s fine-pointing system are three PI multilayer piezoelectric actuators, arranged in a triangular configuration to drive the instrument’s fast steering mirror. Integrated strain-gauge sensors provide closed-loop position feedback for nanoradian-scale pointing precision— a capability essential to the Coronagraph’s mission of suppressing starlight so faint, orbiting exoplanets can be directly imaged.
The PICMA actuator technology was previously qualified by NASA for Mars surface operations, where testing demonstrated more than 100 billion operating cycles without failure — a reliability record that supported its selection for Roman’s demanding pointing requirements.
PI’s relationship with the Roman mission dates back more than a decade, to early development under the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) program, when the company supplied cryogenic positioning stages, six-axis hexapods, and precision gantry systems used throughout instrument alignment, integration, and testing.
More Information on how PI supported the development of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope
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