Compact star tracker with photonic crystal pointing

    公开(公告)号:US11353627B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-06-07

    申请号:US16851906

    申请日:2020-04-17

    Abstract: A star tracker includes imaging optics comprising a folding mirror, a lens, and a detector. The folding mirror bends light received from an optical axis through the lens that focuses the bent light onto the detector. The star tracker includes a steering mechanism that steers light from an adjustable field of view (FOV) to the optical axis of the imaging optics. The steering mechanism includes: (i) a first photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs); (ii) a second photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing SVPCs that is positioned adjacent and axially aligned with the first photonic crystal element; and (iii) a housing that receives the first and second photonic crystal elements for independent rotation.

    Compact Star Tracker Using Off‐Axis Parabolic Mirror

    公开(公告)号:US20210318120A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-10-14

    申请号:US17192978

    申请日:2021-03-05

    Abstract: A compact celestial tracker includes a platform, a rotation stage that rotatably coupled to the platform to rotate a plane of the platform about a rotation axis and that supports the platform on a substrate, an off-axis parabolic mirror mounted to one side of the platform and having a focal plane directed at an acute angle that is between the rotation axis and the plane of the platform to reflect and focus the beam at a point above another side of the platform, and a detector coupled to the other side of the platform to receive and detect the reflected and focused beam.

    Compact Star Tracker with Photonic Crystal Pointing

    公开(公告)号:US20210033750A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-02-04

    申请号:US16851906

    申请日:2020-04-17

    Abstract: A star tracker includes imaging optics comprising a folding mirror, a lens, and a detector. The folding mirror bends light received from an optical axis through the lens that focuses the bent light onto the detector. The star tracker includes a steering mechanism that steers light from an adjustable field of view (FOV) to the optical axis of the imaging optics. The steering mechanism includes: (i) a first photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs); (ii) a second photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing SVPCs that is positioned adjacent and axially aligned with the first photonic crystal element; and (iii) a housing that receives the first and second photonic crystal elements for independent rotation.

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