Computer-aided alignment for the segmented mirrors of three-mirror optical system - art. no. 66241V

Computer-aided alignment (CAA) is a significant technique to correct errors which are caused by the misalignment of each element in an optical system. It is especially important in such areas as space remote sensing optical systems, since manual adjustment is impossible when it operates in orbit. In this paper, a three-mirror optical system is adopted as an example to perform CAA. Principle of this system is introduced. And based on the CAA algorithm, the method of CAA for the segmented mirror is expatiated in detail. A numerical simulation of CAA has been performed for the segmented mirror to verify the ability and accuracy of the method. Comparisons of the image qualities between the pre-alignment and post-alignment systems are also presented. These results indicate that the CAA method is feasible.