Multi-special decentered catadioptric optical system

A dual spectrum terrestrial aerial reconnaissance camera optical system, comprising:

• a) a first detector means for imaging a scene from radiation in a first broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum;
• b) a second detector means for imaging said scene from radiation in a second broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum;
• c) a multi-spectral decentered aperture catadioptric optical system comprising a primary mirror and a secondary mirror for directing radiation from said scene onto said first detector means and second detector means, said optical system having a single entrance aperture for said radiation in said first and second broad portions of the electromagnetic spectrum for imaging by said first and second detector means and an optical axis, wherein said entrance aperture is displaced relative to said optical axis, said optical system further comprising:
• 1) a means for separation of said radiation into first and second optical paths,
• 2) a first field optical assembly in said first optical path for directing radiation in said first broad portion of said spectrum onto said first detector means, and
• 3) a second field optical assembly for directing said radiation from said scene in said second broad portion of said spectrum onto said second detector means;
• wherein said first portion of the spectrum comprises the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between about 200 nm and about 900 nmn.

A multi-spectral decentered aperture catadioptric optical system, comprising:

• a primary mirror receiving incident radiation and defining a central aperture;
• a secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror, said secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a least a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• said optical system having a single entrance aperture and an optical axis, wherein said entrance aperture is displaced relative to the optical axis;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path for directing radiation in a first broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said optical path for directing radiation in a second broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• wherein radiation impinging on said first and second radiation receiving devices passes through said single entrance aperture and wherein said primary and secondary mirrors and said first and second field optical assemblies are constructed so as to permit high resolution images to be generated from said first and second radiation receiving devices in respective first and second broad portions of the electromagnetic spectrum from said incident radiation.

A multi-spectral decentered optical system, said optical system defining a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path directing radiation in a first portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said second optical path directing radiation in a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• said aspheric primary mirror, aspheric secondary mirror, first field optical assembly, second field optical assembly and means for splitting said radiation assembled in an aerial reconnaissance camera housing;
• said first and second radiation receiving devices comprising charge coupled devices;
• wherein radiation impinging on said charge coupled devices passes through said single entrance aperture and wherein said primary and secondary mirrors and said first and second field optical assemblies are constructed so as to permit high resolution images to be generated from said charge coupled devices in respective first and second broad portions of the electromagnetic spectrum from said incident radiation.

A multi-spectral decentered optical system, said optical system defining a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path directing radiation in a first portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said second optical path directing radiation in a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• said aspheric primary mirror, aspheric secondary mirror, first field optical assembly, second field optical assembly and means for splitting said radiation assembled in an aerial reconnaissance camera housing;
• said first and second radiation receiving devices comprising charge coupled devices;
• wherein said first and second portions of the spectrum imaged by said charge coupled devices comprise the ultraviolet and visible portions of the spectrum, respectively.

A multi-spectral decentered optical system, said optical system defining a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path directing radiation in a first portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said second optical path directing radiation in a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• said aspheric primary mirror, aspheric secondary mirror, first field optical assembly, second field optical assembly and means for splitting assembled in an aerial reconnaissance camera housing;
• said first and second radiation receiving devices comprising charge coupled devices;
• wherein said first and second portion of the spectrum imaged by said charge coupled devices comprise the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, respectively.

A multi-spectral decentered optical system, said optical system defining a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path directing radiation in a first portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said second optical path directing radiation in a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• said aspheric primary mirror, aspheric secondary mirror, first field optical assembly, second field optical assembly and means for splitting said radiation assembled in an aerial reconnaissance camera housing;
• said first and second radiation receiving devices comprising charge coupled devices;
• wherein said first and second portions of the spectrum imaged by said charge coupled devices comprise the ultraviolet and infrared portions of the spectrum, respectively.

A multi-spectral decentered aperture catadioptric optical system, said optical system having a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation onto a means for splitting said radiation into a first image forming optical path and a second image forming optical path;
• a first field optical assembly in said first optical path directing radiation in a first broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a first radiation receiving device;
• a second field optical assembly in said second optical path directing radiation in a second broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto a second radiation receiving device;
• wherein radiation impinging on said radiation receiving devices passes through said single entrance aperture and wherein the optical design of said primary and secondary mirrors and said first and second field optical assemblies is optimized in a decentered configuration so as to produce a non-circular field of view for said first and second radiation receiving devices, said non-circular field of view having a magnitude in one direction substantially greater than a magnitude in an orthogonal direction.

A multi-spectral decentered aperture catadioptric optical system, said optical system having a single entrance aperture, comprising:

• an aspheric primary mirror receiving incident radiation;
• an aspheric secondary mirror receiving said radiation from said primary mirror;
• said optical system defining an optical axis, said entrance aperture of said optical system displaced from said optical axis so as to thereby increase the modulation transfer function of said optical system;
• said aspheric secondary mirror directing said radiation into at least one image forming path;
• a field optical assembly in said image forming path directing radiation in a broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum onto at least one radiation receiving device forming an image from said radiation;
• said at least one radiation receiving device imaging in two broad portions of the electromagnetic spectrum;
• wherein radiation impinging on said at least one radiation receiving device passes through said single entrance aperture and wherein said primary and secondary mirrors and said field optical assembly are constructed so as to permit high resolution images to be generated from radiation receiving device;
• wherein said broad portion of the electromagnetic spectrum comprises the portion of the spectrum between 200 nm and 14 microns.