A wide field-of-view celestial sighting system and method are provided. The method includes orienting an imaging optic to collect light from at least one light source, such as at least one celestial body, the imaging optic being secured to a platform. The method further includes selectively collecting light from the at least one celestial body through a selective light collector secured to the platform and positioned in an imaging surface, such as an imaging plane, of the imaging optic. The method further includes combining forward scattered light from the at least one celestial body to provide a combined forward scattered light, and detecting a light intensity of the combined forward scattered light. Systems for performing the method are provided.

An apparatus for target location is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing, which includes a range sensor to generate range data, an image sensor to generate image data, an inertial sensor to generate inertia data, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive the image data from the image sensor and determine a first orientation of the housing and receive the inertia data from the inertial sensor and modify the first orientation based on the inertia data to produce a modified orientation of the housing.

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.

A dual-band (SWIR/visible) optical system operating based on Angles-Only Navigation technology. The SWIR module is optimized for imaging stars. The visible-light sensor is independently optimized for imaging satellites including GPS satellites at night. Preferred embodiment provides continuous high accuracy geo-position solutions day and night (including through the “midnight hole”, when solar-illuminated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are not available. Applicants have experimentally validated proposed system by imaging LEO satellites during terminator using a 1-inch diameter telescope and GPS satellites at night during midnight hole using a 5-inch telescope.

An optical transmitter includes a beam steering system configured to direct an optical beam through a first optical element towards a second optical element. The beam steering system includes an adjustable optical element. The second optical element is susceptible to thermal and vibrational loads that disrupt an alignment between the first and second optical elements. The second optical element includes a main portion configured to direct the optical beam down a propagation path including a communications target. The second optical element also includes a reflective portion configured to direct an alignment portion of the optical beam back to the beam steering system through the first optical element. A detector is configured to receive the alignment portion and generate an alignment signal. A controller is configured to adjust the adjustable optical element based on the alignment signal to counteract the loads.

A compact SFS may can be deployed in small space vehicles. The SFS may have a small size, weight, and low power requirements. The hardware, software, catalogs, and calibration algorithm of the SFS provide highly accurate attitude information that can be used for pointing. For instance, accurate attitude determination may be provided that supports pointing of a deployable high gain helical antenna. A full “lost in space” attitude solution, accurate to about an arcminute, may be accomplished in under a minute. The SFS may be fully reprogrammable on orbit, allowing continued algorithm development and deployment after launch.

A star scanner is provided that uses miniaturized high-speed electronics and an ultra-compact freeform optical design. The star scanner reduces instrument volume, reduces power consumption, and reduces costs, relative to existing star scanners. The optics can be used with a credit card-like footprint, electronics sensor board with optimally packed electronics.

A navigation system includes a star camera having a field of view. The star camera includes a sun shields that selectively block portions of the star camera's field of view, to prevent unwanted light, such as light from the sun or moon, reaching image sensors of the star cameras. Some sun shields include x-y stages or r-θ stages to selectively position a light blocker to block the unwanted light. Some sun shields use positionable partially overlapping orthogonally polarized filters to block the unwanted light. Some sun shields use counter-wound spiral windows that are selectively rotated to block the unwanted light. Some sun shields a curved surface that defines a plurality of apertures fitted with individual mechanical or electronic shutters.

The invention concerns a device (1) for locating a target, comprising: a camera (2) that can be oriented in an orientation in view of the target so that the camera acquires an image of the target, and an orientation in view of a star so that the camera acquires at least one image of the star, an inertial unit (4) configured to calculate position and orientation data of the camera (2), a resetting module (6) configured to a apply stellar resetting to the data on the basis of the image of the star, in order to produce reset data, a location module (8) configured to estimate a position of the target (T) from the image of the target (T) and the reset data, a communication interface for communicating with an operator station, the camera (2) passing from one orientation to the other in response to the reception, by the interface, of a command sent by the operator station.

Star tracker systems and methods are provided. The star tracker incorporates deep learning processes in combination with relatively low cost hardware components to provide moderate (e.g. 1 arc second attitude uncertainty) accuracy. The neural network implementing the deep learning processes can include a Hinton's capsule network or a coordinate convolution layer to maintain spatial relationships between features in images encompassing a plurality of features. The hardware components can be configured to collect a blurred or defocused image in which point sources of light appear as blurs, and in which the blurs create points of intersection. Alternatively or in addition, a blurred or defocused image can be created using processes implemented as part of application programming. The processing of collected images by a neural network to provide an attitude determination can include analyzing a plurality of blurs and blur intersections across an entire frame of image data.