Maximized Optical Resolution Gimbal for Long-range Airborne Surveillance System (MOREGLASS)

Recent and emerging sensor technologies enable longer range motion imagery performance in smaller packages. Performance is ultimately limited by physics. Sufficient optical clear aperture is required to avoid image quality degradation from the diffraction limit. The goal of this program is to maximize the clear aperture for three primary long range sensors to ensure that their real image resolution is better than or equal to that of the MX-20 while fitting inside the envelope of an MX-15. A shared aperture lens with diameter of at least 8 will collect the photons for the MWIR, SWIR, and EO Spotter cameras. This lens will be refractive instead of a reflective cassegrain for two reasons: 1) image quality and 2) stabilization. This sensor grouping, and all of the other required sensors and components will be packaged into a gimbal with the envelope of the MX-15. This packaging will contain the inner gimbal stability design concepts developed to ensure that the LOS jitter is in the 1-2 microradian range.