Corning to Supply Secondary Mirror Substrate for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

A Revolutionary Telescope Providing a New Way to Look at the Sky

CORNING, N.Y. -- Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) today announced that it will manufacture the secondary mirror substrate for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The 8.4-meter LSST is a ground-based facility that is expected to see first light from Cerro Pachon, Chile, in 2014. It will produce a panoramic digital movie as it surveys the entire visible sky every week with its 3,200-mega-pixel camera.

The LSST secondary mirror will be manufactured in Corning's Canton, N.Y., facility and made from Corning ULE([R]), a specialty glass known for its low thermal expansion properties. The process to manufacture the 3.47-meter, 100-millimeter-thick ULE blank is fairly extensive, requiring deep materials understanding and rigorous manufacturing discipline. Material selection and preparation for seal operations began in September 2008. Corning is on schedule to complete the mirror in late 2009.

"Corning has a rich history of supplying monolithic glass blanks for large telescopes that dates back to the 200-inch disk for the Hale telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory in 1934," said Andy Filson, director of advanced optics, Corning Specialty Materials. "We are proud to continue our advancements in this area by being a part of the LSST project."

Corning has utilized its manufacturing expertise for several large telescopes in the past, including the 8-meter primary mirrors for the Gemini and Subaru telescope projects, as well as the 4-meter primary mirrors for the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) and Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) projects.

The new LSST system will combine a wide field of view, rapid scans of the sky, and deep-imaging capability to map billions of objects and monitor changes in brightness and position. Scientists, as well as casual observers with access to the Internet, can actively participate in LSST's mission of mapping the structure of all matter in our dynamic universe.

About Corning Incorporated

Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 150 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including: semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy and metrology.

About Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)

LSST is a public-private partnership. Design and development activity is supported by in part the National Science Foundation. Additional funding comes from private gifts, grants to universities, and in-kind support at Department of Energy laboratories and other LSST Institutional Members. The project is overseen by the LSST Corporation, a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation with headquarters in Tucson, Ariz.. Learn more at www.lsst.org.