The optical design and stray light suppression of compact large aperture space telescope

Abstract

To satisfy a space patrol telescope system with high angular resolution, large space area and high stray light suppression, the stray light environmental characteristics at low earth orbit are summarized. In accordance with the parameters, which diameter is 1.5m, focal length is 20m, field of view is 1.1°×1°, and the optical and mechanical structure joint-design stray light suppression is compared and analyzed for on-axis cross type, off-axis back end type and off-axis sideway type. A method of optical and mechanical structure joint-design stray light suppression is proposed to reduce the stray light suppressing angle to enhance the efficiency of the observation time and sky patrol efficiency in orbit. The detailed stray light suppression design and optimization of off-axis sideway type is given. The simulation and analysis of total optical and mechanical periodic line is presented, and the major stray ray path is simulated and analyzed.Compared with the other two types, the off-axis sideway type presents the best performance of image quality and stray light suppression. The modulation transfer functions (MTF) approach the diffraction limit at all fields. When the evadable angle out of the field is 40°, the PST is less than 10-11 and the system can approach to the stray light suppression limitation.