Large aperture diffractive space telescope
Abstract
A large (10's of meters) aperture space telescope including two separate spacecraft--an optical primary objective lens functioning as a magnifying glass and an optical secondary functioning as an eyepiece. The spacecraft are spaced up to several kilometers apart with the eyepiece directly behind the magnifying glass "aiming" at an intended target with their relative orientation determining the optical axis of the telescope and hence the targets being observed. The objective lens includes a very large-aperture, very-thin-membrane, diffractive lens, e.g., a Fresnel lens, which intercepts incoming light over its full aperture and focuses it towards the eyepiece. The eyepiece has a much smaller, meter-scale aperture and is designed to move along the focal surface of the objective lens, gathering up the incoming light and converting it to high quality images. The positions of the two space craft are controlled both to maintain a good optical focus and to point at desired targets which may be either earth bound or celestial.
- Inventors:
-
- Livermore, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 873677
- Patent Number(s):
- 6219185
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States Department (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B64 - AIRCRAFT B64G - COSMONAUTICS
G - PHYSICS G02 - OPTICS G02B - OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- aperture; diffractive; space; telescope; 10; meters; including; separate; spacecraft-an; optical; primary; objective; lens; functioning; magnifying; glass; secondary; eyepiece; spacecraft; spaced; kilometers; apart; directly; aiming; intended; target; relative; orientation; determining; axis; hence; targets; observed; large-aperture; very-thin-membrane; fresnel; intercepts; incoming; light; focuses; towards; meter-scale; designed; move; focal; surface; gathering; converting; quality; images; positions; craft; controlled; maintain; focus; desired; earth; bound; celestial; objective lens; optical axis; incoming light; diffractive lens; relative orientation; fresnel lens; space telescope; telescope including; /359/244/
Citation Formats
Hyde, Roderick A. Large aperture diffractive space telescope. United States: N. p., 2001.
Web.
Hyde, Roderick A. Large aperture diffractive space telescope. United States.
Hyde, Roderick A. Mon .
"Large aperture diffractive space telescope". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873677.
@article{osti_873677,
title = {Large aperture diffractive space telescope},
author = {Hyde, Roderick A},
abstractNote = {A large (10's of meters) aperture space telescope including two separate spacecraft--an optical primary objective lens functioning as a magnifying glass and an optical secondary functioning as an eyepiece. The spacecraft are spaced up to several kilometers apart with the eyepiece directly behind the magnifying glass "aiming" at an intended target with their relative orientation determining the optical axis of the telescope and hence the targets being observed. The objective lens includes a very large-aperture, very-thin-membrane, diffractive lens, e.g., a Fresnel lens, which intercepts incoming light over its full aperture and focuses it towards the eyepiece. The eyepiece has a much smaller, meter-scale aperture and is designed to move along the focal surface of the objective lens, gathering up the incoming light and converting it to high quality images. The positions of the two space craft are controlled both to maintain a good optical focus and to point at desired targets which may be either earth bound or celestial.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}