Abstract: An all-reflecting, non-relayed optical system having an aperture stop and an optical axis and configured to provide images of objects. The system includes a positive power primary mirror configured to receive radiation from the objects, a negative power secondary mirror configured to receive the radiation reflected from the primary mirror and a positive power tertiary mirror configured to receive the radiation reflected from the secondary mirror. The system further includes a focal plane configured to receive the radiation reflected from the tertiary mirror and to form an image of the objects. The aperture stop of the optical system is located between the tertiary mirror and the image plane. Accordingly, the image plane may be cold shielded to prevent or reduce radiation reflected from the optical elements that interferes with the desired image.

Abstract: An all-reflecting, non-relayed optical system having an aperture stop and an optical axis and configured to provide images of objects. The system includes a positive power primary mirror configured to receive radiation from the objects, a negative power secondary mirror configured to receive the radiation reflected from the primary mirror and a positive power tertiary mirror configured to receive the radiation reflected from the secondary mirror. The system further includes a focal plane configured to receive the radiation reflected from the tertiary mirror and to form an image of the objects. The aperture stop of the optical system is located between the tertiary mirror and the image plane. Accordingly, the image plane may be cold shielded to prevent or reduce radiation reflected from the optical elements that interferes with the desired image.

Abstract: A coude gimbal structure includes a two-axis gimbal system having an outer gimbal pivotable about a first rotational axis, and an inner gimbal supported on the outer gimbal and pivotable about a second rotational axis which intersects the first rotational axis at an intersection point. A folded afocal three-mirror anastigmat has a positive-optical-power primary mirror, a negative-optical-power secondary mirror, and a positive-optical-power tertiary mirror, and a first flat fold mirror, and a second flat fold mirror. A beam path incident upon the primary mirror is reflected from the primary mirror to the secondary mirror. The tertiary mirror lies on the second rotational axis, the first flat fold mirror redirects the beam path reflected from the secondary mirror to the tertiary mirror, and the second flat fold mirror lies at the intersection point and redirects the beam path reflected from the tertiary mirror along the first rotational axis.

Abstract: A multi-telescope imaging system includes a first telescope and a second telescope, each telescope having an input line of sight, a ray path that is incident upon a focal surface imaging location at a non-normal angle of incidence, and a shutter lying on the ray path. A single common sensor lies at the focal surface imaging location, such that the first-telescope ray path and the second-telescope ray path are alternatingly incident upon the same focal surface imaging location of the sensor. A shutter controller alternatingly opens and closes the two shutters, so that the sensor alternatingly views the scenes imaged by the two telescopes.

Abstract: An all-reflective optical system includes an all-reflective afocal module having a first optical end of the afocal module and a second optical end of the afocal module, wherein the afocal module has a non-unity magnification between the first optical end and the second optical end, and an all-reflective imaging module having an input optical end and an output optical end. An all-reflective switching structure is operable to direct a light beam through the afocal module and the imaging module. A first position of the switching structure directs the light beam to enter the first optical end of the afocal module and exit the second optical end of the afocal module, and thereafter to enter the input optical end of the imaging module and to exit the output optical end of the imaging module.

Abstract: A steerable-light-path optical device includes a light transceiver having an external light path associated therewith, and a path-steering device that controls the direction of the light path relative to a steering axis. The path-steering device has a first beam-deviation optical element including a first prism structure having a first diffraction grating thereon, and a second beam-deviation optical element including a second prism structure having a second diffraction grating thereon. The steering axis passes through the first and second beam-deviation optical elements. A rotational drive is operable to rotate at least one of the first beam-deviation optical element and the second beam-deviation optical element, and preferably both of the beam-deviation optical elements, about the steering axis.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a refractive imager lying in an optical path, and optionally a telescope that directs the optical path to the refractive imager. The refractive imager includes a first lens group that forms an intermediate image of a scene on the optical path, wherein the first lens group includes a first-lens-group positive-power lens, and a first-lens-group negative-power lens. A second lens group relays the intermediate image to a final image surface on the optical path, wherein the second lens group includes a second-lens-group positive-power lens, and a second-lens-group negative-power lens. A third lens group may be selectively inserted into the optical path between the first lens group and the second lens group and selectively removed from the optical path. The third lens group includes a third-lens-group positive-power lens, and a third-lens-group negative-power lens.

Abstract: A wide field of view imaging system (100). The novel system (100) includes a rotating mirror (18) having two reflective surfaces each surface, respectively, reflecting light from a scene to first and second sensors (10, 12) positioned to receive light from the mirror (18), wherein the first and second sensors (10, 12) each occupy a different portion of the volume surrounding the mirror (18). In the illustrative embodiment, the mirror (18) is a flat, double-sided mirror rotating at a constant velocity about an axis parallel with the surface of the mirror (18). The first and second sensors (10, 12) are all-reflective optical systems, with the first sensor (10) opposite the second sensor (12). In the preferred embodiment, the invention further includes third and fourth opposing sensors (14, 16) clocked 90° from the first and second sensors (10, 12).

Abstract: An imaging spectrometer includes an all-reflective objective module that receives an image input and produces an objective module output at an exit slit, and an all-reflective collimating-and-imaging module that receives the objective module output as an objective-end input and produces a collimating-end output, wherein the collimating-and-imaging module comprises a reflective triplet. A dispersive element receives the collimating-end output and produces a dispersive-end input into the collimating-and-imaging module that is reflected through the collimating-and-imaging module to produce a spectral-image-end output. An imaging detector receives the spectral-image-end output of the collimating-and-imaging module. The objective module may be a three-mirror anastigmat having an integral corrector mirror therein, or an all-reflective, relayed optical system comprising a set of five powered mirrors whose powers sum to substantially zero.

Abstract: An infrared imaging optical system includes a front lens group having negative optical power, wherein the front lens group comprises a front lens having a refractive index of from about 2.0 to about 3.0; an intermediate lens group that receives an infrared light beam from the front lens group, wherein the intermediate lens group comprises an intermediate lens having a refractive index of from about 1.35 to about 2.0; and a rear lens group having positive optical power, wherein the rear lens group receives the infrared light beam from the intermediate lens group, wherein the rear lens group comprises a rear lens having a refractive index of from about 2.0 to about 3.0, and wherein at least two of the front lens, the intermediate lens, and the rear lens have at least one aspheric surface thereon. The infrared imaging optical system further includes an infrared detector that receives the infrared light beam from the rear lens group. There is a pupil located between the rear lens group and the detector.

Abstract: A system for correcting optical aberration created by a conformal window has a conformal window (12) with an outer surface (26) and an inner surface (28). The inner surface (28) is an aspheric surface for compensating for higher order aberrations. An aberration generator (16) is aligned to receive input from the conformal window (12) and dynamically corrects lower order aberrations, notably focus and astigmatism, over the field of regard.