For many of us working in precision optics, the news that
Mirror Tech Days 2025 has been canceled landed with a real sense of loss. While the event has always been humble in scale, it has been tremendously rich in depth. Once a year, the top minds in mirror technology — from national labs, primes, startups, and specialty suppliers — came together to share, debate, learn, and connect. The exhibit floor was small, yes, but it was high-touch, high-value, and high-trust. I personally have made some of my most meaningful professional connections — and closed real business — during those informal hallway conversations.
It wasn’t about the size.
It was about the people, the precision, and the purpose.
And while it’s fair to say that sometimes the content could feel familiar — updates on the same SIBRs, familiar program reviews — the conversations that happened around those presentations were anything but repetitive. They helped give shape to the future. They helped our companies find partners, innovators find customers, and young engineers find mentors.
So the cancellation leaves a gap — and not just on the calendar.
It leaves a gap in the culture of our field.
A Memory Worth Recalling
I think back to the year we hosted Mirror Tech Days at Northrop Grumman with OSSC involvement — one of the most energizing weeks many of us can remember in Southern California. Yes, having the James Webb Space Telescope as the backdrop didn’t hurt — it was electric. But the real success came from the community showing up, sharing openly, touring facilities, and reconnecting to why we do this work in the first place.
And here’s the important point:
We can create that energy again.
Not by recreating what was, but by building what is needed now.
Southern California is uniquely positioned for this moment. We have:
- Active mirror development programs
- A deep base of engineers and scientists
- Startups pushing innovation
- World-class primes and labs
- And venues that can host meaningful tours, discussions, and technical exchange
People will travel for something real.
So — What if OSSC Hosted a New Mirror Technology Conference?
Not just a meeting.
Not just the same talks.
But a curated, intentional, high-impact gathering devoted to:
- Strengthening the U.S. supply chain
- Understanding where global partnerships make sense — and how to manage them responsibly
- Catalyzing innovation and new vendor development
- Sharing program lessons learned that can help the entire community advance
- Creating career entry points for the next generation
We already have ideas.
We have venues.
We have interest.
But we want to build it with you — the community.
We’d Like Your Input
Before we move forward, we want to know:
What would you like to see in a Mirror Technology gathering on the West Coast?
- Tours?
- Workshops?
- Student engagement?
- Defense + space program highlights?
- Supply chain roundtables?
- Startup & SBIR pitches?
- Focused technical deep-dives?
Tell us.
Your voice will directly shape this.
Please
email the OSSC
Leadership Team with your thoughts.
We may have lost Mirror Tech Days this year — but perhaps this pause is really an opening.
An opening to re-gather
To re-define
To re-energize
To re-lead
Let’s build what the field needs — together.
– Lisa
Vice President, Optical Society of Southern California