Patent ID: 7631839

Claim:
A multiple instrument distributed aperture sensor science payload system mounted on a spacecraft, comprising: a spacecraft interface ring, said spacecraft interface ring affixing the multiple instrument distributed aperture sensor science payload system to the spacecraft; a multiple telescope array, said multiple telescope array further comprising: a mechanical subsystem further comprising an optical bench, an optical subsystem mounted upon said mechanical subsystem, said optical subsystem collecting light and merging the light into a passive, actively sensed or hyperspectral image, including wavefront sensing and control, and a laser subsystem, said laser subsystem providing laser illumination for active remote sensing data; a pointing and control subsystem, said pointing and control subsystem providing six degree-of-freedom motion to said mechanical subsystem in an operational configuration, and further comprising a hexapod in physical communication with and between said spacecraft interface ring and said mechanical subsystem; a plurality of launch locks affixed to said spacecraft interface ring, said plurality of launch locks supporting said multiple telescope array in a stowed configuration; and a plurality of science instruments mounted on said optical bench obverse to said optical subsystem, each of said plurality of science instruments individually and concurrently sensing distinct portions of the passive, actively sensed or hyperspectral image.