Ultra-Lightweight Silicon Carbide Telescope and Advanced Pointer for Combined Multi-Spectral Imager and Active LADAR

Next-generation aircraft and space-based sensors will significantly benefit from a combined aperture multi-spectral passive (visible to LWIR) and active LADAR capability for enhanced target acquisition, ranging, tracking, and discrimination performance; and lower size, weight, power, and cost. Typical DoD missions include advanced AWACS sensors; TMD and NMD interceptors and surveillance systems; cruise missile guidance/control; terrain mapping and photo-reconnaissance; laser guided missiles/weaponry; aircraft landing systems; laser secure links and environmental sensors. The driving technology areas are ultra-lightweight all-reflective telescopes and wide field of regard (FOR), high precision pointing/stabilization control. SSG's proposed concept includes (1) a very lightweight, all-reflective, off-axis, common shared aperture silicon carbide (SiC) telescope for combined, inherently aligned and a thermalized passive/active operation; and (2) a wide FOR, very precise and compact pointer with internal stabilization control. The proposed hardware must satisfy visible level performance under stressing thermal and vibration environments. SSG is proposing a highly innovative SiC process technology that provides very fracture tough (drop on cement floor) and extremely highly damped (50 times better than a metal) structural assembly at very low cost, which is critical for stressing aircraft and rocket applications. The wide FOR pointer uses a meridional 2-axis mirror assembly (size is independent of the large azimuthal angular extent), and a highly innovative fringe counting optical encoder capable of less then 0.5 microrad accuracy, repeatability, and jitter control over the large angular extent. Phase I will develop a combined aperture passive/active sensor concept with supporting analyses and critical technology assessment; Phase II will be a hardware demonstration of critical technology area(s) in a "flight-worthy" configuration.