Unlike most other complex telescope instruments, LINC-NIRVANA must live and work on its host structure, the shared focal platform of the Large Binocular Telescope. This means that, during operation, the instrument must perform to specification over a tip angle of 0° to 70°. It must also survive long periods pointing at the horizon.

Although all of the separate LN systems had been flexure tested individually, it was important to verify that all is well when the entire instrument tips over. During April 2014, the team made multiple flexure tests over the full operating and survival angle range.

LINC-NIRVANA half-way through a tip test. At this stage, the optical bench was fully populated. The brown, steel structure on the left side is a dummy weight to represent the DX Ground-Layer Wavefront Sensor. The actual sensor is at LBT taking part in the Pathfinder experiment.

Time-lapse video of the LINC-NIRVANA full instrument flexure test