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About Tele Vue
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TeleVue.com: About > About Tele Vue > Beginning at NASA |
At right is the award-winning Renaissance Telescope for high resolution photography and visual astronomy. Below it are five 82° Field Tele Vue Nagler Eyepieces, some of the accessories that contribute to high image quality. The telescope and eyepieces are representative of a family of optical equipment manufactured by Tele Vue Optics, Inc., Suffern, New York. Tele Vue's devices incorporate space technology developed for NASA's Gemini and Apollo projects.
Tele Vue products represent examples of the personnel type technology transfer, wherein people who work for NASA or its contractors move to another industry, bringing with them aerospace-acquired skills and know-how applicable to non-aerospace use.
The instrument of technology transfer in this instance was Al Nagler, president and founder of Tele Vue Optics. From 1957 to 1973, Nagler worked as senior optical systems designer for Farrand Optical Company, Valhalla, New York. Under contract to NASA, Farrand developed visual simulators for several NASA programs. Nagler's particular responsibility was displays for the Gemini and Apollo Lunar Module spacecraft. The visual simulators used large mirrors to project images of Earth orbit, docking and lunar landing. The latter was simulated by a complex "optical probe," a TV camera and lens that "flew" down onto a scale model of the lunar surface.
Nagler's experience in these and other space technologies provided the technical basis for the Renaissance Telescope, his patented wide angle eyepieces and other optical systems. In 1977, Nagler founded Tele Vue, which designs and manufactures projection TV lenses as well as telescopes and eyepieces, and additionally performs consulting and optical design for the military services, aerospace firms and commercial businesses.
— Haggertty, J, J. "Telescope Equiptment." Spinoff, NASA Office of Commercial Programs, Technology Utilization Division. (1988): 80.
