A Pointing and Control Architecture for Large Optical Aerospace Systems

Abstract

Important new advances in laser optics and recent space pointing demonstrations have enabled the United States Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) to propose control strategies for large space based laser systems which utilize existing technologies and approaches. System performance, which has always been stressing from a control perspective, is now apparently within the state-of-the-art. The objective of this paper is to explain the nature of the technology advances and examine the control system implications for improving the feasibility and performance of systems such as large Space Based Laser platforms.