Imaging device, especially for producing images of the earth from a satellite

Claim 1

An apparatus for producing signals processable to obtain an interferogram of a zone of a heavenly body comprising: a space vehicle for movement relative to the zone in a given direction; optical means comprising fixed interferometric means statically located on the space vehicle while receiving light from such zone and while providing, in a plane, successive images of said zone as a result of such movement wherein the interferometric means comprises means for receiving the light and interfering portions of the light from the zone for producing each image as a function of phase differences in the light; and a plurality of detectors mounted on the space vehicle coplanar with such plane and arranged in a line for successively detecting, at different times, the light intensity of each image of the successive images, each detector being adapted for providing an output signal representative of the light intensity of the image detected by such detector, the signals from all such detectors for a given zone being the signals processable to obtain the interferogram.

Claim 2

An apparatus for producing signals processable to obtain an interferogram of a zone of a heavenly body comprising: a space vehicle for movement relative to the zone in a given direction; optical means comprising fixed interferometric means statically located on the space vehicle while receiving light from such zone and while providing, in a plane, successive images of said zone as a result of such movement wherein the interferometric means comprises means for receiving the light and interfering portions of the light from the zone for producing each image as a function of phase differences in the light; and a plurality of detectors mounted on the space vehicle coplanar with such plane and arranged in a line for successively detecting, at different times, the light intensity of each image of the successive images, each detector being adapted for providing an output signal representative of the light intensity of the image detected by such detector, the signals from all such detectors for a given zone being the signals processable to obtain the interferogram.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to either of claims 1 or 4, wherein said interferometric means is adapted for receiving an incident light beam from said zone for splitting the beam into at least two beams having a difference in lengths of their optical paths dependent on the angle of incidence and for interfering said two beams at the image plane.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to either of claims 1 or 4, wherein said interferometric means comprises a Savart polariscope.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to either of claims 1 or 4, wherein said interferometric means comprises a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

Claim 12

A method for producing output signals processable to form an interferogram from light waves from a zone on a heavenly body, using optical means having interferometric means for producing an image at an image plane for detection by detectors, the method comprising the steps of: placing the interferometric means and the detectors aboard a space vehicle, wherein there is relative movement in a direction between the space vehicle and heavenly body; enabling the interferometric means to receive the light waves from the zone and to produce a sequence of images at the image plane due to the relative movement while maintaining the interferometric means fixed relative to the optical means and the space vehicle wherein each image is produced by interfering the light waves from the zone as a function of phase differences in the light waves; and arranging the detectors at the image plane parallel to the direction to detect the successive images and to produce the output signals representing the intensity of the interfered light waves for the successive images for a given zone processable to form the interferogram.

Claim 13

A method for producing output signals processable to form an interferogram from light waves from a zone on a heavenly body, using optical means having interferometric means for producing an image at an image plane for detection by detectors, the method comprising the steps of: placing the interferometric means and the detectors aboard a space vehicle, wherein there is relative movement in a direction between the space vehicle and heavenly body; enabling the interferometric means to receive the light waves from the zone and to produce a sequence of images at the image plane due to the relative movement while maintaining the interferometric means fixed relative to the optical means and the space vehicle wherein each image is produced by interfering the light waves from the zone as a function of phase differences in the light waves; and arranging the detectors at the image plane parallel to the direction to detect the successive images and to produce the output signals representing the intensity of the interfered light waves for the successive images for a given zone processable to form the interferogram.

Claim 17

The method of either of claims 11 or 14, wherein the step of enabling comprises the step of adapting the interferometric means for receiving an incident light beam from said zone for splitting the beam into at least two beams having a difference in lengths of their optical paths dependent on an angle of incidence of the beam and for interfering said two beams at the image plane.

Claim 18

The method according to either of claims 11 or 13, wherein the step of placing the interferometric means comprises the step of placing a Savart polariscope aboard the space vehicle.

Claim 20

The method according to either of claims 11 or 14, wherein the step of placing the interferometric means comprises the step of placing a Fabry-Perot interferometer aboard the space vehicle.