High-Power Laser Illuminator

A laser illuminator system has been developed for use in automated tracking of objects. In its original application, the system illuminates a 5° conical region expected to contain a small satellite at a distance up to 750 m from the space shuttle. If the satellite comes within this region, then a receiving optoelectronic system aboard the space shuttle actively tracks the satellite by locking onto the laser illumination reflected by small mirrors on the satellite. The laser illuminator system could be adapted to other outer-space and terrestrial applications that involve illumination with or without tracking, or could be used as a beacon on a moving platform for tracking by an optoelectronic system located on another moving or stationary platform.