Lightweight mirrors for x-ray astronomy leveraging 3D printing of fused silica: first results

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Additive manufacturing of fused silica is being explored as a method to produce lightweight, high-spatial-resolution mirrors for X-ray astronomy. The research leverages the ability of 3D printing to create complex biomimetic and lattice geometries that significantly reduce mirror mass. Initial results on polished cylindrical segments demonstrate the potential of this technique to overcome the weight limitations of monolithic X-ray mirror shells.