Patent ID: 7385759

Claim:
An optical system with variable pointing comprising: a telescope; a principal pointing device making it possible to select light rays originating from a particular direction of observation to enter the telescope, the principal pointing device comprising a principal pointing minor, arranged ahead of the entrance of the telescope and orientable, and the direction of observation being selected by orienting the principal pointing mirror so as to reflect light rays originating from the direction of observation toward the entrance of the telescope; at least one secondary pointing device arranged ahead of a part of the entrance of the telescope and oriented fixedly with respect to the principal pointing device, the secondary pointing device furthermore being oriented so that rays directed by the secondary pointing device toward the entrance of the telescope originate from a direction distinct from said direction of observation, the principal and at least one secondary pointing devices being external to the telescope; and at least one set of photodetectors arranged so as to record an image formed by at least a part of the telescope from light rays directed by the secondary pointing device toward the entrance of the telescope, wherein the secondary pointing device is rigidly coupled to the principal pointing mirror so as to follow said principal pointing mirror during a change in the direction of observation.