Abstract

Miniaturized, rugged, high performance seekers that operate in an extreme adverse environment must be developed for hypersonic endoatmospheric interceptors to be successful. The USASDC is investing in technologies to improve the design of such seekers. Hardened components is one such area, and a key area is improved window materials. Diamond windows hold the potential for extreme improvement of seeker systems. Window cooling problems can be mitigated because diamond has such high thermal conductivity, is strong and hard, and is light weight. An associated area is the measurement and characterization of the material. We discuss a blind study of samples from several developers measured at operational temperatures. Combining component functions is yet another technology; a concept is presented in which the beam steering function for seekers is combined within the seeker lens system. Beam steering is necessary to obtain the large field of regard that interceptor seekers require.

© 1992 Optical Society of America