An Epic Success for the PI Team: Milestones in Space Research with PI Precision
October 29, 2025, was an exciting day for PI as a global leader in precision research. PI and the team from ESO (European Southern Observatory) celebrated the final delivery of custom-developed hybrid actuators for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Karlsruhe (Germany).
According to ESO, the challenges were enormous: The solution had to be developed to withstand extreme environmental conditions at an altitude of 3,000 meters in Chile’s Atacama desert. Furthermore, anyone who—like ESO—builds a mirror with a diameter of 39 meters for exploring the depths of the universe must be also able to rely on products with the highest level of precision and long-term stability. PI proved that this can be done!
The company developed and delivered 2,500 customized high-precision actuators that control the alignment of the ELT’s massive mirror segments within the nanometer range. PI has once again pushed the boundaries of what is technically feasible. This technology is an impressive testament to the innovative strength and profound expertise embodied in each individual at PI. CEO Markus Spanner summed it up,
We had the opportunity to participate in an epic research project. The PI Group can be very proud of that.
In conclusion, everyone involved was thanked for their tireless efforts, expertise, and perseverance, which will continue to make this billion-euro project a success! With this milestone, PI has made a very important contribution to world-class research!
PI’s contribution to the project also received positive media coverage. Read the (German language) article here.
Contact person:
Dr. Timo Zornek, Head of Business Section Customer Projects, Site Eschbach
Photo Credits: ESO