News

In November 2021, our RC700 was installed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland where the system will be used to demonstrate laser communication technology for future spaceflight missions. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that the RC700 will be used in NASA’s laser communication project,” said PlaneWave’s Technical Services Manager, Matt Dieterich. “The opportunity […]

Collaborative Satellite Tracking Project Passes First Test at SSC’s Ground Station PlaneWave, along with Baader Planetarium and Andor, has been collaborating with SSC for the development of their satellite tracking ground station over the past year and a half. This development is part of SSC’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA) program which aims to contribute to […]

To learn more about our direct drive mounts for you application please call us at (310)-639-1662 and speak with one of our professional team members today. Why should you use PlaneWave L-series? Whether your goal is astrophotography, research, or satellite tracking, PlaneWave’s L-series mounts come standard with direct drive motors for superior tracking precision and […]

Are you ready to capture APOD quality astro-photographs? We welcome you to join the family of PlaneWave equipment owners, where the focus is on you. PlaneWave offers installation and training services for all of our products, commissioning our systems within 1-2 days onsite, including the 1M-class PW1000. Our experienced technicians are also available to assist […]

The L-series lineup was born out of the dream to create the most versatile and cost-effective direct drive mount. Whether your goal is capturing beautiful astrophotographs that are out of this world, tracking fast moving satellites, or tracking objects that are not in orbit, the L-series will help you reach those goals all while being […]

PlaneWave’s Vertical Integration Helps Ensure Customers Receive Highest Quality Equipment at Affordable Prices PlaneWave Instruments is focused on vertical integration. We have been from the beginning. Our increased capacity, reduced overhead, and manufacturing innovations allow us to create high quality equipment at affordable prices. Design, optical production, fabrication, assembly, and quality control are all performed […]

In the summer of 2018, PlaneWave installed their CDK700 at the Hanle observatory site near Leh, India.  This remote village houses the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO). At almost 15,000 ft (4,500 meters) above sea level, the IAO is one of the world’s highest, and affords some of the clearest views of the skies. Here the […]

The Thacher School, a coeducational boarding high school perched at the foot of the Topa Topa Mountains in Ojai, California. Here, students encounter a combination they won’t find anywhere else: demanding academics, tough character-building challenges and a healthy, authentic community culture that supports them every step of the way. It’s how Thacher succeeds in shaping […]

  The Great Basin Observatory is a collaborative effort of Great Basin National Park; the Great Basin National Park Foundation; and four partner universities: University of Nevada, Reno; Western Nevada College in Carson City; Southern Utah University in Cedar City; and Concordia University in Irvine, CA. These partners have joined together in order to build […]

NARIT is responsible for research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in Thailand. NARIT has been in the process of setting up a network of robotic telescopes worldwide at some of the best locations available. These include  PlaneWave CDK24 or CDK700  telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, Gaomeigu Observatory in People’s Republic of China,  Sierra […]