Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Brian Foley

Michael E Deflumere

William E Shaw

Walter P Watson

A telescope design having an integrated baffle is disclosed herein. The integrated baffle is configured as both a baffle and a mirror support. The integrated baffle can be shaped to the F-cone between the primary and secondary mirrors of a given telescope design. The baffle design can be adjusted to minimize or otherwise reduce the total obscuration of the baffle to improve the optical throughput. The interior facing surfaces of the integrated baffle can be configured with corner reflectors, so that the detector views itself, instead of the baffle.

Integrated telescope baffle and mirror support

A telescope design is disclosed that has at least some of its interior facing surfaces configured with corner reflectors, so that a detector operatively coupled to the telescope views itself, instead of those surfaces. The corner reflectors may be on, for example, interior facing surfaces of a conventional baffle appended to the telescope and/or mirror supports or other structures inside the telescope housing that are within the detector's FOV. Likewise, the corner reflectors may be on interior facing surfaces of a baffle that is integrated into the telescope housing. In some such cases, the integrated baffle can be configured as both a baffle and a mirror support. The integrated baffle can be shaped to the F-cone between mirrors of a given telescope design, and/or configured to minimize or otherwise reduce the total obscuration of the baffle to improve the optical throughput.

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Nashua, NH, United States of America

Brian Foley