A lasercom coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)-matched optical bench, with optional star-tracker capability, that includes a Transmitter (TX) fiber collimator creating a Gaussian beam from a singlemode (SM) or polarization maintaining (PM) fiber; a tiltball directly bonded to the optical bench, the tiltball performing centration of a TX beam with a telescope optical axis; a TX beam diverger creating a wide beam for acquisition, and a narrow beam for tracking and communications; a Point-Ahead Mechanism/mirror; a polarization diplexer cube or dichroic filter(s) separating TX and Receiver (RX) beams of opposite polarization and/or different wavelengths, wherein the polarization or dichroic and anti-reflective coatings are compatible with the adjunct star tracker; a fast-steering mechanism and mirror having a common-path to TX and RX; a RX optical passband filter; the RX optical passband filter having a flipper mechanism allowing for selecting the passband of the star-tracker or the RX passband.

A system and method include generating environment data from skylight sensor data. The environment data includes a value of a geospatially dependent parameter associated with light received from a predetermined celestial light source. At least two of a compass direction of the predetermined celestial light source when the skylight sensor data was received, a time at which the skylight sensor data was received, or a geospatial coordinate at which the skylight sensor data was collected are received. At least one of the compass direction of the predetermined celestial light source when the skylight sensor data was received, the time at which the skylight sensor data was received, or the geospatial coordinate at which the skylight sensor data was collected is determined, at least in part, from the environment data.

Analyzing electro-optical imagery from a telescope observing one or more satellites includes capturing one or more images of a plurality of stars and the one or more satellites, and sequentially or randomly selecting each one of a plurality of diagonal lines of pixels in the one or more images. The plurality of diagonal lines of pixels represent one of the plurality of stars in the one or more images. Additionally, a moving average filter is applied to the selected one of the plurality of diagonal lines of pixels to find a location of one of the plurality of start on an x- and y-axis coordinate. Furthermore, the location of the one of the plurality of stars is provided in the one or more captured images to be cross referenced with angular coordinates and radiometric quantities in stellar catalogs.

A system is provided. The system comprises: a rotational beam system; an optical detector system, including a Risley prism system, coupled to the rotational beam system; wherein the rotational beam system is configured to azimuthally rotate the optical detector system around an axis at a fixed altitude angle; and wherein the at least one Risley prism system is configured to change the field of view of the optical detector system.

A master control system for a remote-sensing satellite image processing device, the system including: a master control management module, a first FPGA module, and a second FPGA module. The master control management module is in connection and communication with the first FPGA module, the second FPGA module, and a housekeeping computer. The first FPGA module is in connection and communication with the second FPGA module and a remote-sensing satellite image processing device. The master control management module is adapted to perform assignment of tasks. The first FPGA module is adapted to communicate with a processor in the satellite image processing device, monitor an operation state of the satellite image processing device, send the operation state information to the master control management module, receive a task assignment command issued by the master control management module, and transmit the task assignment command to the satellite image processing device.

Systems that enable observing celestial bodies during daylight or in under cloudy conditions.

A method of determining position of an object using an imaging device includes imaging a celestial object using an imaging device. A difference between an expected position of the celestial object and an actual position of the celestial object is determined. Pointing of the imaging device is in-flight calibrated to improve position determining by nulling the difference between the expected position of the celestial object and the actual position of the celestial object. Systems for determining position of an object relative to a vehicle are also described.

An optical system comprises a pair of Risley prisms positioned along an optical axis to receive a light beam from a field of view, wherein at least one of the Risley prisms is rotatable, transverse to the optical axis, with respect to the other of the Risley prisms. At least one lens is positioned along the optical axis to receive the light beam from the pair of Risley prisms, with the at least one lens configured to focus the light beam. An optical detector array is positioned along the optical axis at an image plane, wherein the optical detector array receives the focused light beam on the image plane from the at least one lens. The optical system can be implemented as a light beam steering mechanism in a star tracker or celestial aided inertial navigation unit.

A polar axis calibration system (100) comprises: a polar scope (10), a polar axis calibration control device (20) and a display device (30). The polar scope comprises an optical lens (11) and an image sensor (12) for collecting constellation images (IM); the polar axis calibration control device receives the constellation images from the polar scope and determines the position (P1) of the rotation center of the polar axis and the celestial pole position (P2), the position of the rotation center of the polar axis means the position of the rotation center (R0) of the polar axis (510) of the equatorial instrument in the plane of the constellation image, and the celestial pole position means the position of the celestial pole in the plane of the constellation image; and the display device is coupled to the polar axis calibration control device and used to display the constellation image, the celestial pole position and the position of the rotation center of the polar axis. The present invention also provides a polar scope, a polar axis calibration control device, as well as an equatorial instrument (500) and an astronomical telescope comprising the aforesaid polar scope or polar axis calibration system. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to align the celestial pole position directly with the rotation center of the polar axis, thus improving the calibration accuracy. Furthermore, it is possible to lower the requirements for the installation accuracy of the polar scope.

System and method for determining a position of a target in an unbiased 3D measurement space: generating 2D measurement data in focal planes of each sensor; calculating a line of sight (LOS) from the target for each sensor; intersecting the LOSs and finding the closest intersection point in a 3D space; calculating a boresight LOS in 3D for each sensor; intersecting the boresight lines of sights for each sensor, and finding the closest intersection point in the 3D space to define an origin for forming the unbiased 3D measurement space; and forming local unbiased 3D estimates of the position of the target in the unbiased 3D measurement space as a difference between a closest point of the target LOS and a closest point of the boresight LOS.