Contraves Space Ag

Peter Adolph

Andreas Herren

Saverio Sanvido

Guy Colin Baister

Christian Meisinger

Jakob Neubert

An optical unit ( ) comprising a plurality of optical elements, a receiving structure ( ) with a plurality of element supports ( ) for receiving the optical elements. The element supports ( ) are in the form of a plate or shell or tube, whose dimensions are greater than the dimensions of the optical elements to be received, and is connected to another element support. At least one element support ( ) comprises temperature elements ( ) that can be heated and/or cooled. The optical unit ( ) furthermore comprises a control unit for driving the temperature elements ( ) in order to locally change the temperature of the at least one element support ( ) so as to influence in a controlled manner the shape of the at least one element support ( ).

Optical unit and its use

Method for calibrating the deviation of a received beam in a terminal from its desired position. The received beam reaches a receiving sensor, and an acquisition beam an acquisition sensor of the terminal. The detection range of the acquisition sensor is greater than that of the receiving sensor. A portion of a transmitted beam emitted by the terminal to the partner terminal is guided as an incident beam on the reflecting surface, where it is reflected as an outgoing beam. A portion of the outgoing beam is respectively brought to the acquisition sensor and the receiving sensor. A respective measurement for the acquisition sensor and the receiving sensor is performed at least approximately isochronously; the measured results are compared for determining the deviation of the received beam from its desired position. Also a device for calibrating the deviation of a received beam in a terminal from its desired position. The terminal comprises at least one receiving channel with respectively a receiving sensor, a transmitting channel and an acquisition channel with an acquisition sensor. An optical splitting device is arranged in the transmitting channel, which splits the acquisition beam from the transmitting beam and the receiving beam. A reflecting surface reflects the portion of the receiving beam constituting an incident beam as an outgoing beam. Optical means bring the incident beam on the receiving sensor. A measuring and comparing device is used for performing a measurement for the receiving sensor and the acquisition sensor at least approximately isochronously and to compare the results of the measurements in order to determine from them the deviation of the received beam from its desired position. Use of a preferred further development of the device in a terminal equipped with a lead device, which communicates with a partner terminal which is displaceable in respect to it. The triplet beam being created in the course of this is used to calibrate and correct the setting of the lead device.

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Basel, Switzerland

Peter Adolph