Brashear designs and produces electro-optical and electro-mechanical systems and instrumentation for both commercial and defense markets. The company operates in six product areas that encompass telescope systems, optical components, stabilized tracking systems, test range instrumentation, small arms fire control systems and laser beam directors. Brashear shapes and polishes lenses ranging from 1 meter to 8.3 meters in diameter. Founded in 1881, Brashear is headquartered in Pittsburgh and employs scientists, engineers, opticians and a support staff. In 2003 Brashear received a multi-million dollar contract from Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., for the design and fabrication of large space optical assemblies for NASA s Kepler Space Telescope.