US 5,177,362 AGranted

Sensor chamber

AssigneeGrumman Aerospace Corporation

InventorsWilliam Reitman, Jeanette Kennedy

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Abstract

A sensor chamber is disclosed for testing the operation of detector modules designed to be placed in earth orbit. The sensor chamber includes a chamber housing and a vacuum pump for evacuating the sensor chamber housing to vacuum conditions representative of a space environment. An infrared detector module is disposable within the sensor chamber, the module being operative to receive an infrared frequency signal and generate an output signal in response thereto. A window is formed within the sensor chamber housing, adjacent the detector module, to facilitate communication of infrared frequency signals to the detector module. A detector servo mechanism is provided for regulating the orientation of the detector module within the sensor chamber housing. The detector servo being operative to effect movement of the detector module with respect to the infrared frequency signal.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A sensor test chamber system for testing the operation of infrared detector modules to be operably disposed upon a satellite by simulating a target, background, and the satellite, as well as drift and jitter of the satellite, the system comprising:

a sensor test chamber housing, said housing being evacuatable to provide vacuum conditions representative of a space environment;
a detector servo mechanism for varying the orientation of the infrared detector module within the sensor test chamber housing to simulate drift and jitter of the satellite;
a source of infrared signals disposed outside of said sensor test chamber housing, said source generating infrared signals simulating the independent motions of a target and a background;
a window formed within the sensor test chamber housing to facilitate communication of said infrared signals to the detector module;
and
wherein the simulation of satellite drift and jitter in combination with the simulations of the independent motions of the target and the background provide a realistic representation of the infrared detector modules' working environment.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.