A compact ultra-lightweight space camera structure

Abstract

The application discloses a compact ultra-lightweight space camera structure, the whole camera structure is located above a main force-bearing back plate, the main back plate can be directly installed on a satellite cabin plate, and the camera structure has high installation stability. The camera structure is compact, the volume envelope is small, meanwhile, the main force-bearing structure is made of M40 carbon fiber material, the camera adopts an ultra-lightweight design, and the overall mass is light. The product is small in size and light in weight, has high resolution and large field-of-view imaging capacity, and can be carried on a micro-nano satellite. Since the volume, weight and manufacturing difficulty are small, the research and development cycle and cost are reduced by several times or even orders of magnitude. Meanwhile, the whole camera structure is front-mounted, the satellite cabin plate does not need to be opened or the leg is not needed to be raised, and the design and processing difficulty of the satellite is reduced. Therefore, the satellites can be used to realize multi-satellite mobile flexible and rapid networking formation to provide rapid and efficient space information guarantee for military demands such as tactics and campaigns and civil demands.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space camera technology, and more particularly to a compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most space optical payloads used in the market are either coaxial RC + compensating mirror groups or off-axis three-mirror types.

[0003] In coaxial RC+compensating mirror structures, the image plane is located behind the primary mirror. The camera's axial dimension is relatively large, meaning a significant portion of the structure lies behind the camera's main load-bearing backplate, often resulting in the camera's rear envelope exceeding the mounting surface. Common solutions to this include: increasing the height of the camera's mounting legs; designing a taller mounting bracket within the satellite module; and creating openings in the satellite module structure to accommodate the camera structure. However, these methods increase the design complexity of the satellite platform and significantly reduce the camera's mounting stability, negatively impacting the space camera. Furthermore, RC+compensating mirror cameras generally have longer axial distances, leading to higher overall structural dimensions and weight.

[0004] Off-axis three-mirror cameras have a shorter axial distance and the rear structure is often located above the mounting surface. Although the camera has higher installation stability, the design is more difficult because both the main mirror and the three mirrors are off-axis. At the same time, the cost and time required for processing and adjustment will be greatly increased. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a compact and ultra-lightweight space camera structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] The present invention provides a compact and ultra-lightweight space camera structure, including a main load-bearing component, a primary mirror component, a secondary mirror component, a three-mirror component, a folding mirror component, and a focal plane component;

[0008] The main load-bearing component consists of a carbon fiber load-bearing frame, titanium alloy embedded parts, a carbon fiber back plate, and satellite connection legs.

[0009] The carbon fiber load-bearing frame is connected to one side of the carbon fiber backplate, and the satellite connection leg is connected to the other side of the carbon fiber backplate; the carbon fiber backplate is directly installed on the satellite cabin plate via the satellite connection leg; the titanium alloy embedded part is located in the mounting hole of the carbon fiber backplate.

[0010] The primary mirror assembly is located within the carbon fiber load-bearing frame and mounted on the carbon fiber backplate.

[0011] The secondary mirror assembly is mounted on the outside of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame via carbon fiber support rods;

[0012] The three-mirror assembly is mounted on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame via a three-mirror backplate.

[0013] The folding mirror assembly is located inside the carbon fiber load-bearing frame and is installed in the center hole of the main mirror of the main mirror assembly via a folding mirror assembly support.

[0014] The focal plane assembly is mounted on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame via a support frame and is on the same side as the three-mirror assembly.

[0015] After the light source enters the camera, it first illuminates the primary mirror of the primary mirror assembly, then is reflected by the secondary mirror of the secondary mirror assembly, enters the central hole of the primary mirror, and illuminates the first folding mirror of the folding mirror assembly. The light path direction is changed by the first folding mirror, and the light is reflected to the third mirror of the three-mirror assembly. The light path direction is then changed by the second folding mirror of the folding mirror assembly, and finally the light is focused on the image plane. The photosensitive surface of the detector of the focal plane assembly receives the light and forms an image. The focusing mechanism of the focal plane assembly moves the detector back and forth to make the photosensitive surface of the detector coincide with the image plane of the system, thereby obtaining the best imaging effect.

[0016] Furthermore, both the carbon fiber load-bearing frame and the carbon fiber backplate are made of M40 carbon fiber material.

[0017] Furthermore, the primary mirror assembly includes a primary mirror and a titanium alloy flexible joint. The primary mirror is a silicon carbide primary mirror. The primary mirror assembly is connected to a threaded hole on a titanium alloy embedded part on a carbon fiber backing plate via the titanium alloy flexible joint.

[0018] Furthermore, the titanium alloy flexible joint is configured as three that are evenly distributed circumferentially.

[0019] Furthermore, the titanium alloy embedded part is fixed in the mounting hole of the carbon fiber back plate by adhesive bonding.

[0020] Furthermore, the secondary mirror assembly includes a secondary mirror, a secondary mirror flexible joint, a secondary mirror mounting frame, carbon fiber support rods, and titanium alloy embedded parts. The secondary mirror is mounted on the secondary mirror mounting frame via the secondary mirror flexible joint. Multiple carbon fiber support rods are installed at equal intervals around the secondary mirror mounting frame, and each carbon fiber support rod is installed on the carbon fiber load-bearing frame via titanium alloy embedded parts.

[0021] Furthermore, three carbon fiber struts are arranged circumferentially along the secondary mirror mounting bracket.

[0022] Furthermore, the three-mirror assembly includes three mirrors, three-mirror flexible joints, and a three-mirror backplate. The three mirrors are mounted on the three-mirror backplate via the three-mirror flexible joints, and the three-mirror backplate is mounted on a carbon fiber load-bearing frame.

[0023] Furthermore, the folding mirror assembly includes a first folding mirror, a first folding mirror joint, a second folding mirror, a second folding mirror joint, and a folding mirror assembly support. The folding mirror assembly support has a cylindrical structure, with one end installed in the central hole of the main mirror and the other end having two inclined surfaces. The first folding mirror is installed on one of the inclined surfaces of the folding mirror assembly support via the first folding mirror joint, and the second folding mirror is installed on the other inclined surface of the folding mirror assembly support via the second folding mirror joint.

[0024] Furthermore, the focal plane assembly includes a focusing mechanism and a detector. The focusing mechanism includes a support frame, a slide rail, a slide base, and a drive assembly. The slide rail and the drive assembly are respectively fixed on the support frame. The detector is fixed on the slide base, and the slide base drives the detector to move along the slide rail through the drive assembly.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure provided by this invention adopts a coaxial reflective design. The entire camera structure is located above the main load-bearing backplate, which can be directly mounted on the satellite module, providing high stability. With a primary mirror aperture of 340mm and a focal length of 3000mm, the overall optical system envelope is only 320mm*380mm*310mm. Combined with the optomechanical components, the overall camera structure envelope is only 380mm×465mm×430mm, with very small axial dimensions and a highly compact structure. Furthermore, the camera employs an ultra-lightweight design; the main load-bearing structure, including the main backplate and secondary mirror support, is made of M40 carbon fiber. At a spatial resolution on the order of 0.5m, the overall weight of the camera does not exceed 16kg. In summary, the compact, ultra-lightweight space camera provided by this invention is small in size and light in weight, while possessing high resolution and a wide field of view imaging capabilities, making it suitable for mounting on micro- and nano-satellites. Meanwhile, the camera's overall structure is positioned at the front, eliminating the need for openings or heightening the legs on the satellite module. This significantly reduces the design and manufacturing complexity of the satellite platform and rocket launch vehicle, resulting in a reduction in development cycle and cost by several times or even orders of magnitude. Therefore, by utilizing these features of the invention, multiple satellites can be rapidly and flexibly networked to provide rapid and efficient aerospace information support for military needs such as tactical campaigns and civilian applications. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0028] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the optical path propagation of a compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the main load-bearing component provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main mirror assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the secondary mirror assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the three-mirror assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a folding mirror assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the focal plane assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 1-Main load-bearing component, 11-Carbon fiber load-bearing frame, 12-Titanium alloy embedded part, 13-Carbon fiber back plate, 14-Satellite connection leg;

[0038] 2-Primary lens assembly, 21-Silicon carbide primary lens, 22-Titanium alloy flexible joint;

[0039] 3-Secondary mirror assembly, 31-Secondary mirror, 32-Secondary mirror flexible joint, 33-Secondary mirror mounting bracket, 34-Carbon fiber support rod, 35-Titanium alloy embedded parts;

[0040] 4-Three-mirror assembly, 41-Three-mirror, 42-Three-mirror flexible joint, 43-Three-mirror backplate;

[0041] 5-Folding mirror assembly, 51-Folding mirror 1, 52-Folding mirror 1 flexible joint, 53-Folding mirror 2, 54-Folding mirror 2 flexible joint, 55-Folding mirror assembly support;

[0042] 6-Focal plane assembly, 61-Support frame, 62-Slide rail, 63-Slide base, 64-Drive assembly, 65-Detector;

[0043] 7-Image plane. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0045] like Figure 1-8 As shown, this invention provides a compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure, including a main load-bearing component 1, a primary mirror component 2, a secondary mirror component 3, a three-mirror component 4, a folding mirror component 5, and a focal plane component 6. Each mirror is bonded and cured to its corresponding flexible joint using optical epoxy adhesive, and then connected to its corresponding supporting structure using screws to form an independent component. Furthermore, with a primary mirror aperture of 340mm and a focal length of 3000mm, the overall optical system design envelope is only 320mm*380mm*310mm. Combined with the optomechanical structural components, the overall camera structure envelope is only 380mm×465mm×430mm, with a very small axial dimension and a highly compact structure.

[0046] The main load-bearing component 1 consists of a carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11, a titanium alloy embedded part 12, a carbon fiber back plate 13, and a satellite connection leg 14; wherein, the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 and the carbon fiber back plate 13 are both made of M40 carbon fiber material.

[0047] The carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 is connected to one side of the carbon fiber backplate 13, and the satellite connecting leg 14 is connected to the other side of the carbon fiber backplate 13. The carbon fiber backplate 13 is directly mounted to the satellite cabin plate via the satellite connecting leg 14. The titanium alloy embedded part 12 is located in the mounting hole of the carbon fiber backplate 13. The titanium alloy embedded part can be processed by grinding, drilling, etc., and can serve as a mounting base for other components. One end of the satellite connecting leg is directly connected to the backplate by screws and positioned by pins, while the other end is connected to the satellite cabin plate. The satellite connecting leg adopts a flexible design, which can effectively eliminate errors and stresses caused by processing and assembly.

[0048] The primary lens assembly 2 is located within the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 and mounted on the carbon fiber backplate 13. Specifically, the primary lens assembly 2 includes a primary lens 21 and a titanium alloy flexible joint 22. The primary lens 21 is a silicon carbide primary lens. The primary lens assembly 2 is connected to the threaded holes on the titanium alloy embedded parts 12 on the carbon fiber backplate 13 via the titanium alloy flexible joints 22. Three titanium alloy flexible joints 22 are evenly distributed circumferentially. The titanium alloy embedded parts 12 are fixed in the mounting holes of the carbon fiber backplate 13 by adhesive bonding.

[0049] The secondary mirror assembly 3 is mounted on the outside of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 via carbon fiber support rods 34. Specifically, the secondary mirror assembly 3 includes a secondary mirror 31, a secondary mirror flexible joint 32, a secondary mirror mounting bracket 33, carbon fiber support rods 34, and titanium alloy embedded parts 35. The secondary mirror 31 is mounted on the secondary mirror mounting bracket 33 via the secondary mirror flexible joint 32. Multiple carbon fiber support rods 34 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the secondary mirror mounting bracket 33, and each carbon fiber support rod 34 is mounted on the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 via a titanium alloy embedded part 35. Three carbon fiber support rods 34 are arranged along the circumference of the secondary mirror mounting bracket 33.

[0050] The three-mirror assembly 4 is mounted on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 via a three-mirror backplate 43. Specifically, the three-mirror assembly 4 includes a three-mirror 41, a three-mirror flexible joint 42, and a three-mirror backplate 43. The three-mirror 41 is mounted on the three-mirror backplate 43 via the three-mirror flexible joint 42, and the three-mirror backplate 43 is mounted on the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11.

[0051] The folding mirror assembly 5 is located inside the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 and is mounted in the central hole of the main mirror 21 of the main mirror assembly 2 via the folding mirror assembly support 55. Specifically, the folding mirror assembly 5 includes a first folding mirror 51, a first folding mirror flexible joint 52, a second folding mirror 53, a second folding mirror flexible joint 54, and a folding mirror assembly support 55. The folding mirror assembly support 55 has a cylindrical structure with two inclined surfaces at one end and is mounted in the central hole of the main mirror 21 at the other end. The first folding mirror 51 is mounted on one of the inclined surfaces of the folding mirror assembly support 55 via the first folding mirror flexible joint 52, and the second folding mirror 53 is mounted on the other inclined surface of the folding mirror assembly support 55 via the second folding mirror flexible joint 54.

[0052] The focal plane assembly 6 is mounted on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame 11 via a support frame 61 and is on the same side as the three-mirror assembly 4. Specifically, the focal plane assembly 6 includes a focusing mechanism and a detector 65. The focusing mechanism includes a support frame 61, a slide rail 62, a slide block 63, and a drive assembly 64. The slide rail 62 and the drive assembly 64 are respectively fixed on the support frame 61. The detector 65 is fixed on the slide block 63, and the slide block 63 drives the detector 65 to move along the slide rail 62 via the drive assembly 64. The drive assembly 64 includes, but is not limited to, a motor and a worm gear.

[0053] In the space camera structure of this invention, during installation, the primary mirror assembly is first connected to the main load-bearing assembly to form the foundation for the entire camera's assembly and adjustment. Then, the lighter secondary mirror is fixed to the main load-bearing assembly via a pre-embedded transition piece forming a truss structure with three carbon fiber rods, completing the main telescope assembly. Next, the folding mirror assembly and the three-mirror assembly are sequentially fixed to the main load-bearing structure. The assembled components are positioned using pins, ensuring the camera's strength and optical system stability. Finally, the focal plane assembly is fixed to the main load-bearing structure, and the focusing mechanism moves the detector back and forth to obtain the optimal image plane position for the system.

[0054] The light source enters the camera and first illuminates the primary mirror 21. Then, it is reflected by the secondary mirror 31 of the secondary mirror assembly 3 and enters the central hole of the primary mirror 21, illuminating the first folding mirror 51 of the folding mirror assembly 5. The light path direction is changed by the first folding mirror 51, and the light is reflected to the third mirror 41 of the three-mirror assembly 4. The light path direction is then changed by the second folding mirror 53 of the folding mirror assembly 5, and finally the light is focused on the image plane 7. The photosensitive surface of the detector 65 of the focal plane assembly 6 receives the light and forms an image.

[0055] In designing the camera structure, this invention intentionally modularizes all relatively independent parts and components, and manufactures them according to standardized designs. This allows for off-the-shelf production, meeting the needs of low-cost, short-cycle manufacturing of large batches of cameras. The entire camera structure is located above the main load-bearing backplate, which can be directly mounted onto the satellite module, providing extremely high installation stability. The camera structure is compact with a small volume envelope, and the main load-bearing structure is made of M40 carbon fiber, employing an ultra-lightweight design, resulting in a relatively light overall weight. This product is small in size and light in weight, while possessing high resolution and a wide field of view imaging capabilities. It can be mounted on micro / nano satellites. Due to its smaller size, lighter weight, and lower manufacturing difficulty, the development cycle and cost are reduced by several times or even orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the front-mounted camera structure eliminates the need for openings or heightening of the satellite module, reducing the design and manufacturing complexity of the satellite. Therefore, these characteristics of satellites can be utilized to achieve rapid, flexible, and swift multi-satellite networking and formation, providing rapid and efficient aerospace information support for tactical and operational military needs, as well as civilian applications.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0057] The embodiments described above are merely specific implementations of this application, used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. The protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the specific technologies; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. All should be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure, characterized in that, It includes the main load-bearing assembly (1), the primary mirror assembly (2), the secondary mirror assembly (3), the three-mirror assembly (4), the folding mirror assembly (5), and the focal plane assembly (6). The main load-bearing component (1) consists of a carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11), a first titanium alloy embedded part (12), a carbon fiber back plate (13), and a satellite connecting leg (14); The carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) is connected to one side of the carbon fiber back plate (13), and the satellite connecting leg (14) is connected to the other side of the carbon fiber back plate (13); the carbon fiber back plate (13) is directly installed on the satellite cabin plate through the satellite connecting leg (14); the first titanium alloy embedded part (12) is located in the mounting hole of the carbon fiber back plate (13). The primary mirror assembly (2) is located within the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) and mounted on the carbon fiber backplate (13); The secondary mirror assembly (3) is mounted on the outside of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) via a carbon fiber support rod (34); The three-mirror assembly (4) is mounted on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) via the three-mirror back plate (43); The folding mirror assembly (5) is located inside the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) and is installed in the center hole of the main mirror (21) of the main mirror assembly (2) through the folding mirror assembly support (55); The focal plane assembly (6) is installed on the side wall of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) via a support frame (61), and the focal plane assembly (6) and the three-mirror assembly (4) are located on the same side of the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11). After the light source enters the camera, it first shines on the primary mirror (21), and then is reflected by the secondary mirror (31) of the secondary mirror assembly (3), and enters the central hole of the primary mirror (21) and shines on the first folding mirror (51) of the folding mirror assembly (5). After the first folding mirror (51) changes the direction of the light path, the light is reflected to the third mirror (41) of the three-mirror assembly (4). After the second folding mirror (53) of the folding mirror assembly (5) changes the direction of the light path, the light is finally focused on the image plane. The photosensitive surface of the detector (65) of the focal plane assembly (6) receives the light and forms an image. The focusing mechanism of the focal plane assembly (6) drives the detector (65) to move back and forth, so that the photosensitive surface of the detector (65) coincides with the image plane of the system.

2. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) and the carbon fiber back plate (13) are made of M40 carbon fiber material.

3. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main mirror assembly (2) includes a main mirror (21) and a titanium alloy flexible joint (22). The main mirror (21) is a silicon carbide main mirror. The main mirror assembly (2) is connected to the threaded hole on the first titanium alloy embedded part (12) on the carbon fiber back plate (13) through the titanium alloy flexible joint (22).

4. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The titanium alloy flexible joint (22) is configured as three that are evenly distributed circumferentially.

5. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first titanium alloy embedded part (12) is fixed in the mounting hole of the carbon fiber back plate (13) by adhesive bonding.

6. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary mirror assembly (3) includes a secondary mirror (31), a secondary mirror flexible joint (32), a secondary mirror mounting frame (33), carbon fiber support rods (34), and a second titanium alloy embedded part (35). The secondary mirror (31) is mounted on the secondary mirror mounting frame (33) through the secondary mirror flexible joint (32). Multiple carbon fiber support rods (34) are installed at equal intervals around the secondary mirror mounting frame (33). Each carbon fiber support rod (34) is mounted on the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11) through the second titanium alloy embedded part (35).

7. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The carbon fiber support rods (34) are arranged in three along the circumference of the secondary mirror mounting bracket (33).

8. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-mirror assembly (4) includes three mirrors (41), three-mirror flexible joints (42) and three-mirror backplates (43). The three mirrors (41) are mounted on the three-mirror backplates (43) via the three-mirror flexible joints (42), and the three-mirror backplates (43) are mounted on the carbon fiber load-bearing frame (11).

9. The compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The folding mirror assembly (5) includes a first folding mirror (51), a first folding mirror joint (52), a second folding mirror (53), a second folding mirror joint (54), and a folding mirror assembly support (55). The folding mirror assembly support (55) has a cylindrical structure, with one end installed in the central hole of the main mirror (21) and the other end having two inclined surfaces. The first folding mirror (51) is installed on one of the inclined surfaces of the folding mirror assembly support (55) through the first folding mirror joint (52), and the second folding mirror (53) is installed on the other inclined surface of the folding mirror assembly support (55) through the second folding mirror joint (54).

10. A compact, ultra-lightweight space camera structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The focal plane assembly (6) includes a focusing mechanism and a detector (65). The focusing mechanism includes a support frame (61), a slide rail (62), a slide block (63), and a drive assembly (64). The slide rail (62) and the drive assembly (64) are respectively fixed on the support frame (61). The detector (65) is fixed on the slide block (63). The slide block (63) drives the detector (65) to move along the slide rail (62) through the drive assembly (64).

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