The wide-field imaging system carried on a high-altitude or near-space vehicle takes high-resolution images of the ground to measure and map targets. With the improvement of imaging resolution and measurement accuracy, the focal length of the wide-field imaging system is getting longer. The requirement for image motion compensation (IMC) accuracy is getting higher, and the influence of optical path coupling is increasing within the process of two-dimensional (2D) IMC. To further improve the IMC accuracy of the wide-field imaging system, an innovative IMC method is first proposed in this paper. The method is based on the 2D motion of the scanning platform and secondary mirror. Secondly, to solve the optical coupling problem in the process of 2D IMC, the coupling phenomenon is analyzed. The coupling relationships between 2D scanning motion, 2D secondary mirror motion and image motion is derived from the compensation process. A complete 2D IMC model is established, and a 2D IMC method, including an optical path decoupling correct regulator (ODCR), is designed. Finally, the method is verified in laboratory and field flight tests. The results show that the proposed method can effectively correct the coupling error of the optical path in the process of IMC and achieve high-resolution 2D IMC. When the scanning speed is 60°/s and the exposure time is 2 ms, the accuracy of the 2D IMC is up to 0.57pixels (RMS) in the pitch direction, and 0.46 pixels (RMS) in the roll direction.

The use of airborne-mapping technology plays a key role in the acquisition of large-scale basic geographic data information, especially in various important civil/military-mapping missions. However, most airborne-mapping cameras are limited by parameters, such as the flight altitude, working-environment temperature, and so on. To solve this problem, in this paper, we designed a panchromatic wide-spectrum optical system with a focusing function. Based on the catadioptric optical structure, the optical system approached a telecentric optical structure. Sharp images at different object distances could be acquired by micro-moving the focusing lens. At the same time, an optical passive compensation method was adopted to realize an athermalization design in the range of −40–60 °C. According to the design parameters of the optical system, we analyzed the influence of system focusing on mapping accuracy during the focusing process of the airborne-mapping camera. In the laboratory, the camera calibration and imaging experiments were performed at different focusing positions. The results show that the experimental data are consistent with the analysis results. Due to the limited experiment conditions, only a single flight experiment was performed. The results show that the airborne-mapping camera can achieve 1:5000 scale-imaging accuracy. Flight experiments for different flight altitudes are being planned, and the relevant experimental data will be released in the future. In conclusion, the airborne-mapping camera is expected to be applied in various high-precision scale-mapping fields.

There is an increasing number of spacecrafts in orbit, and the collision impact of high-speed moving targets, such as space debris, can cause fatal damage to these spacecrafts. It has become increasingly important to rapidly and accurately locate high-speed moving targets in space. In this study, we designed a visible-light telephoto camera for observing high-speed moving targets and a laser rangefinder for measuring the precise distance of these targets, and we proposed a method of using fast steering mirror deflection to quickly direct the emitted laser towards such targets and measure the distance. Based on the principle of photographic imaging and the precise distance of targets, a collinear equation and a spatial target location model based on the internal and external orientation elements of the camera and the target distance were established, and the principle of target location and the method for calculating target point coordinates were determined. We analyzed the composition of target point location error and derived an equation for calculating such errors. Based on the actual values of various error components and the error synthesis theory, the accuracy of target location was calculated to be 26.5 m when the target distance is 30 km (the relative velocity is 8 km/s and the velocity component perpendicular to the camera’s optical axis is less than 3.75 km/s). This study provides a theoretical basis and a method for solving the practical needs of quickly locating high-speed moving targets in space and proposes specific measures to improve target location accuracy.

Targeting the dynamic image-motion problem of aerial cameras in the process of swing imaging, the image-motion compensation technology of aerial cameras based on the multi-dimensional motion of the secondary mirror was adopted. The secondary mirror was used as the image-motion compensation element, and the comprehensive image-motion compensation of the aerial camera was realized through the multi-dimensional motion of the secondary mirror. However, in the process of compensating for the image motion, the secondary mirror would be eccentric and inclined, which would cause the secondary mirror to be off-axis and affect the image quality. Therefore, a misalignment optical system model was established to study the relationship between the deviation vector and the misalignment of the secondary mirror, and the influence of the secondary mirror’s motion on the distribution of the aberration was analyzed. In order to verify the image-motion compensation ability of the multi-dimensional motion of the secondary mirror, an experimental platform was built to conduct a laboratory imaging experiment and flight experiment on the aerial camera. The experimental results showed that the dynamic resolution of the aerial camera using the image-motion compensation technology could reach 74 lp/mm, and the image-motion compensation accuracy was better than 0.5 pixels, which met the design expectation. In conclusion, the image-motion compensation technology is expected to be applied to various high-precision optical imaging as well as optical detection systems.

The infrared search and track system (IRST) is a type of special electrical optical (EO) system that can be used in various scenarios to fulfill situation awareness, reconnaissance, and tracking of targets. We proposed a homogeneous coordinate transformation method to analyze the residual image wandering induced by the rotation of the scanning platform and the compensation fast steering mirror and help with the commonly trivial selection of the telescope magnification and the objective focal length. The analysis and simulation are carried out with specified IRST optics, which adopt a 640 × 512 array and 15 μm pitch detector, in a focal range of 60 mm~360 mm, and a scan speed of 360°/s to 60 °/s at 50 fps, and optical specifications are determined further. The presented optical system, with only three kinds of common infrared materials, works at 3.7 μm~4.8 μm, demonstrates good image performance and tolerance characteristics, and shows potential in manufacturing. Also, the resulting image wandering of 8 μm, less than a 0.6-pixel size, at an integral time of 16 ms, proves the correctness of the method and makes the scheme of considerable interest for electrical optical systems.