Flash LADAR system

A sensor system, comprising:

• a shared receive aperture, including:
• receive optics;
• intensity control elements;
• filters;
• a primary dichroic mirror, wherein the dichroic mirror is in the optical path of the shared receive aperture and receives received signal light from the shared receive aperture;
• a three-dimensional focal plane array, wherein a first component of the received signal light within a first range of wavelengths is a first one of passed by or reflected to the three-dimensional focal plane array by the dichroic mirror;
• an imaging two-dimensional focal plane array, wherein at least a portion of a second component of the received signal light within a second range of wavelengths is a second one of passed by or reflected to the imaging two-dimensional array by the dichroic mirror;
• a laser light source;
• transmit optics, wherein the transmit optics receive light produced by the laser light source;
• shared electronics, wherein the shared electronics are interconnected to and control operation of at least the intensity control elements, the three-dimensional focal plane array, the imaging two-dimensional focal plane array, and the laser light source;
• a shared enclosure, wherein the primary dichroic mirror, the three-dimensional focal plane array, the imaging two-dimensional focal plane array, laser light source, and the shared electronics are housed in the shared enclosure, and wherein the shared receive aperture and the transmit optics are mounted to the shared enclosure.

A method for operating a flash LADAR system, comprising:

• first transmitting a laser beam;
• receiving a reflected return signal from a target at a shared receive aperture;
• directing the reflected return signal to a three-dimensional focal plane array;
• receiving a passive signal at the shared receive aperture, wherein at least some of the passive return signal is received at the same time as the reflected return signal;
• directing the passive return signal to a two-dimensional focal plane array;
• obtaining a frame of three-dimensional image information;
• obtaining a frame of two-dimensional image information within a time at which the frame of three-dimensional image information is obtained;
• obtaining absolute position information;
• combining the frame of three-dimensional image information with the frame of two-dimensional image information to obtain a combined frame;
• associating the absolute position information with the combined frame;
• after associating the absolute position information with the combined frame, second transmitting a laser beam, wherein the first transmitting a laser beam and the second transmitting a laser beam is separated in time by no more than 1/30 th of a second.