| US 11,693,148 B1 | ||
| Active pointing and tracking system | ||
| Guangning Yang, Greenbelt, MD (US); and Jeffrey Chen, Greenbelt, MD (US) | ||
| Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA, Washington, DC (US) | ||
| Filed by United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA, Washington, DC (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 6, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/532,684. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 62/838,632, filed on Apr. 25, 2019. | ||
| Int. Cl. G01V 7/04 (2006.01); G01V 7/16 (2006.01); G01C 3/08 (2006.01) | ||
| CPC G01V 7/04 (2013.01) [G01C 3/08 (2013.01); G01V 7/16 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims |
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1. A satellite, comprising:
a fast tracking mirror (“mirror”) placed at or near a center of mass (CoM) of a satellite and centered on a line of sight (LOS) between CoMs of two satellites; and a detector at a distance away from the mirror, wherein placement of the mirror allows for the distance from the mirror at the COM to the detector to remain constant under pitch and yaw of the satellite, and the mirror is tilted to compensate for the pitch and yaw of the satellite, thereby directing an incoming laser beam to the detector, when a location of the detector changes due to pitch and yaw of the satellite around its CoM. |