A satellite with a primary imaging mirror fabricated while in space is described. The primary mirror is formed by solidifying liquid precursor material which assumes a paraboloid shape upon certain rotational maneuvers of the satellite. The primary mirror is preferably formed from a molten metal which creates a rigid paraboloid primary mirror upon solidification. The mirror material can be pre-melted prior to launch and carried to orbit while liquid, or it can be stored as a solid and melted in space to create the mirror.

Disclosed are monolithic optical systems using an aerogel molded around a mandrel. A method of manufacturing an optical system includes applying a reflective coating to at least a portion of a surface of a mandrel, placing the mandrel in a tank and subsequently filling the tank with aerogel to a predetermined depth below a top of the mandrel. The method includes adding a separation layer to the tank on top of the aerogel at the predetermined depth, catalyzing the separation layer into a solid, and adding aerogel on top of the separation layer filling the tank with aerogel above a height of the mandrel, and removing the aerogel and mandrel from the tank, drying the aerogel into a solid aerogel structure, catalyzing the reflective coating to bond the reflective coating with the aerogel, and removing the mandrel from the aerogel structure to produce the aerogel structure having a hollowed-out interior.

Disclosed are monolithic optical systems using an aerogel molded around a mandrel. A method of manufacturing an optical system includes applying a reflective coating to at least a portion of a surface of a mandrel, placing the mandrel in a tank and subsequently filling the tank with aerogel to a predetermined depth below a top of the mandrel. The method includes adding a separation layer to the tank on top of the aerogel at the predetermined depth, catalyzing the separation layer into a solid, and adding aerogel on top of the separation layer filling the tank with aerogel above a height of the mandrel, and removing the aerogel and mandrel from the tank, drying the aerogel into a solid aerogel structure, catalyzing the reflective coating to bond the reflective coating with the aerogel, and removing the mandrel from the aerogel structure to produce the aerogel structure having a hollowed-out interior.

Beamformers are formed (e.g., carved) from a stack of transparent sheets. A rear face of each sheet has a reflective coating. The reflectivities of the coatings vary monotonically with sheet position within the stack. The sheets are tilted relative to the intended direction of an input beam and then bonded to form the stack. The carving can include dicing the stack to yield stacklets, and polishing the stacklets to form beamformers. Each beamformer is thus a stack of beamsplitters, including a front beamsplitter in the form of a triangular or trapezoidal prism, and one or more beamsplitters in the form of rhomboid prisms. In use, a beamformer forms an output beam from an input beam. More specifically, the beamformer splits an input beam into plural output beam components that collectively constitute an output beam that differs in cross section from the input beam.

An anti-vibration optical system is an observation optical system including, in sequence from an object side, an objective optical system, an erecting prism, and an ocular optical system, wherein: in sequence from the object side, the objective optical system includes a first lens group having a positive refracting power and a second lens group having a negative refracting power; in sequence from the object side, the second lens group comprises a positive lens group having a positive refracting power and a negative lens group having a negative refracting power; and an image position can be changed by the negative lens group of the second lens group being displaced in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis.

An anti-vibration optical system is an observation optical system including, in sequence from an object side, an objective optical system, an erecting prism, and an ocular optical system, wherein: in sequence from the object side, the objective optical system includes a first lens group having a positive refracting power and a second lens group having a negative refracting power; in sequence from the object side, the second lens group comprises a positive lens group having a positive refracting power and a negative lens group having a negative refracting power; and an image position can be changed by the negative lens group of the second lens group being displaced in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis.

Disclosed is a novel assembly and method that enables a user to collimate a focused Cassegrain telescope. The assembly, having a secondary mirror and support baffle, comprising an axle, a bearing, and hub, enables a user to precisely rotate or freely spin a Cassegrain telescope's secondary mirror about its optical axis. Incident to freely spinning the telescope's secondary mirror, the user may peer into the telescope's eyepiece and observe a focused image that may wobble, or remain stable, dependent upon how well the telescope's mirrors are aligned. Further, the assembly's eyepiece, comprising a reticle design, enables the observer to measure the magnitude and direction of image shift incident to the secondary mirror spinning. Lastly, the assembly, comprising a radially marked collimating faceplate, and radially marked collimating knob screws, enables a user to make specific adjustments to the telescope's secondary mirror, compensating for the observed image shift, precisely collimating the telescope.

Disclosed is a novel assembly and method that enables a user to collimate a focused Cassegrain telescope. The assembly, having a secondary mirror and support baffle, comprising an axle, a bearing, and hub, enables a user to precisely rotate or freely spin a Cassegrain telescope's secondary mirror about its optical axis. Incident to freely spinning the telescope's secondary mirror, the user may peer into the telescope's eyepiece and observe a focused image that may wobble, or remain stable, dependent upon how well the telescope's mirrors are aligned. Further, the assembly's eyepiece, comprising a reticle design, enables the observer to measure the magnitude and direction of image shift incident to the secondary mirror spinning. Lastly, the assembly, comprising a radially marked collimating faceplate, and radially marked collimating knob screws, enables a user to make specific adjustments to the telescope's secondary mirror, compensating for the observed image shift, precisely collimating the telescope.

There is provided an endoscope objective optical system which enables to change a field of view to an arbitrary direction without bending an endoscope, even in a narrow space.

The endoscope objective optical system includes an optical-path deflecting prism group, and a lens group, wherein, a visual-field direction of the endoscope objective optical system is let to be variable by moving a prism in the optical-path deflecting prism group, and, the optical-path deflecting prism group includes in order from an object side, three prisms namely, a first prism, a second prism, and a third prism, and the first prism, the second prism, and the third prism are disposed to be in mutual proximity, and the visual-field direction is let to be variable to a first direction by the first prism undergoing a rotational movement with respect to the second prism, and furthermore, the visual-field direction is let to be variable to a second direction which differs from the first direction, by the first prism and the second prism undergoing rotational movement integrally with respect to the third prism, wherein the endoscope objective optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1)

0.9≦L/FL≦1.5  (1) where, L denotes a total air conversion length (unit mm) of the first prism, the second prism, and the third prism in the optical-path deflecting prism group, and here the total air conversion length is a value obtained by summing up a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the first prism by a refractive index for a d-line nd1 of a glass material of the first prism, a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the second prism by a refractive index for the d-line nd2 of a glass material of the second prism, and a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the third prism by a refractive index for the d-line nd3 of a glass material of the third prism, and FL denotes a focal length (unit mm) of the endoscope objective optical system.

There is provided an endoscope objective optical system which enables to change a field of view to an arbitrary direction without bending an endoscope, even in a narrow space.

The endoscope objective optical system includes an optical-path deflecting prism group, and a lens group, wherein, a visual-field direction of the endoscope objective optical system is let to be variable by moving a prism in the optical-path deflecting prism group, and, the optical-path deflecting prism group includes in order from an object side, three prisms namely, a first prism, a second prism, and a third prism, and the first prism, the second prism, and the third prism are disposed to be in mutual proximity, and the visual-field direction is let to be variable to a first direction by the first prism undergoing a rotational movement with respect to the second prism, and furthermore, the visual-field direction is let to be variable to a second direction which differs from the first direction, by the first prism and the second prism undergoing rotational movement integrally with respect to the third prism, wherein the endoscope objective optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1)

0.9≦L/FL≦1.5  (1) where, L denotes a total air conversion length (unit mm) of the first prism, the second prism, and the third prism in the optical-path deflecting prism group, and here the total air conversion length is a value obtained by summing up a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the first prism by a refractive index for a d-line nd1 of a glass material of the first prism, a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the second prism by a refractive index for the d-line nd2 of a glass material of the second prism, and a value obtained by dividing a length of an optical axis passing through the third prism by a refractive index for the d-line nd3 of a glass material of the third prism, and FL denotes a focal length (unit mm) of the endoscope objective optical system.