Aviation refers to the navigation activities of aircraft within the Earth's atmosphere. This includes flying using aircraft heavier than air (such as fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, helicopters, etc.) and aircraft lighter than air (such as balloons, airships, etc.); Aerospace refers to the activities carried out by spacecraft outside the Earth's atmosphere. Spacecraft include artificial satellites, manned spacecraft, space stations, probes, etc. The optical components involved in Sun Optics in aerospace include prisms, lenses, filters and mirrors.
The Hubble space telescope is one example of satellite telescope optics. It is a Ritchey-Chretien telescope, or RC telescope, and includes hyperbolic primary and secondary mirrors that effectively eliminate coma, or off-axis optical errors. The primary mirror is 2.4 meters in diameter.
Positioned approximately 340 miles (545 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, this space telescope captures images without distortions from atmospheric refraction, cloud obstruction, or the absorption and scattering of certain wavelengths of light. Although it cannot detect gamma ray space radiation, it is able to observe visible light as well as near-infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
For the analysis and exploration of exoplanets and distant stars, multiple measurements are usually evaluated based on the combination of time and precise attitude determination. Typically, images from one or more satellites are combined to achieve higher resolution. In principle, this method is also used for Earth observation, but the photon sources here are closer and receive less interference. The GPS system is an important application of Earth positioning. These satellites achieve their accuracy by selectively combining the positions of several satellites.
The key task is to determine the location of data transmission and navigation. The speed of a satellite is usually measured in kilometers per second. Therefore, even a slight deviation from the predicted position is sufficient to prevent the data from being transmitted or to pose a collision risk.
In the long run, removing and preventing defective satellites in orbit will also become an increasingly important issue. One approach is for satellites to observe other satellites instead of the Earth or distant planets in order to remove defective objects before they become critical. Furthermore, methods for precisely approaching defective satellites and sending them into the atmosphere are currently being tested. In this way, in the long run, space will still be available for human use.
In recent years, the number of satellites in orbit has increased significantly, especially due to more private space companies (New Space). The new space company has activated more satellites in space and also generated unprecedented information about the Earth. In addition to providing deeper insights into the Earth's processes and development, satellites are also showing a trend of getting smaller and smaller. In this case, the development of ultra-small components becomes more important and demanding than that of traditional satellites.
Display solutions are another application area of photonics in the aerospace industry. Some transparent optical devices, such as aspheric mirrors, can be installed in head-up displays to provide important information and flight data in the pilot's field of vision. Optical/system solutions can also ensure greater security.
Contact us to find more information about head-up displays.
