Patent ID: 8676503

Claim:
A pointing and/or tracking system, comprising: a spinning artificial satellite; and a launch mechanism adapted to launch the artificial satellite so as to spin about a spin axis; wherein the artificial satellite includes: an optical sensor having a field-of-view parallel or substantially parallel to the spin axis; at least one of a microwave tracking device, a radiation-tracking device, a microwave-pointing device, and a radiation-pointing device, each of said devices having a field-of-view oriented generally opposite the field-of-view of the optical sensor; and an optical mirror that is counter-rotational about the spin axis of the artificial satellite for stabilizing a line-of-sight communication link in inertial space between said at least one microwave tracking device, radiation-tracking device, microwave-pointing device, and radiation-pointing device and a target, the target comprising one or more terrestrial locations or one or more artificial satellites, the optical mirror controllable to direct a signal on the line of sight to or from the target.