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DARPA's New Hi-Tech Telescope

Posted by samzenpus on from the shiny-new-toys dept.

coondoggie writes "You can bet that if there are little red aliens running around on Mars, or spaceships patrolling other planets in our solar system for that matter, a recently powered-up telescope built by researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency might just be able to see them. The Air Force, which operates the DARPA-developed Space Surveillance Telescope says the telescope's design, featuring unique image-capturing technology known as a curved charge coupled device system, as well as very wide field-of-view, large-aperture optics, doesn't require the long optics train of a more traditional telescopes."

5 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I wonder what the Air Force needs to track... by deathcow · · Score: 4, Informative

    Air Force has huge departments dedicated to space.
    http://www.afspc.af.mil/units/index.asp

    They manage GPS satellites as well as scan the skies and catalog 10's of thousands of pieces of space debris.

  2. Re:acronym fail? by FSWKU · · Score: 4, Funny

    It was originally going to be "Curved Charged Coupled Photoreceptor"...but then someone realized that might send the wrong message...

    --
    "So after all this, you make my case for me. To end this stalemate, you must die..."
  3. Re:Joking? by piripiri · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can bet that if there are little red aliens running around on Mars...

    You're joking, right? That telescope is going to be pointed at little humans of all colors running around on Earth.

    You're joking, right? You know it's a telescope and not a satellite.

  4. article on curved focal surfaces by trb · · Score: 4, Informative
    Here's an interesting 2003 article on curved focal surfaces, including CCDs.

    http://www.ptbmagazine.com/content/040103_ora.html

  5. Re:Joking? by Raenex · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know it's a telescope and not a satellite.

    Those two aren't mutually exclusive.