A high-altitude station-keeping astronomical platform

Robert A. Fesen

doi:10.1117/12.673615

23 June 2006 A high-altitude station-keeping astronomical platform

Robert A. Fesen

Proceedings Volume 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes; 62670T (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.673615
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

Several commercial telecommunication ventures together with a well funded US military program make it a likely possibility that an autonomous, high-altitude, light-than-air (LTA) vehicle which could maneuver and station-keep for weeks to many months will be a reality in a few years. Here I outline how this technology could be used to develop a high-altitude astronomical observing platform which could return high-resolution optical data rivaling those from space-based platforms but at a fraction of the cost.

Citation Download Citation

Robert A. Fesen "A high-altitude station-keeping astronomical platform", Proc. SPIE 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes, 62670T (23 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.673615

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