Large aperture diffractive space telescope

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:873677

Hyde, Roderick A ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA

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.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Department (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 6219185
• OSTI ID: 873677
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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
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