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Spherical glass spacecraft BLITS

Satellites of the Blits type are a separate type of retroflectivor spherical systems made of a central ball and two attached outer glass spherical menisci. The menisci and the central lens have significantly different refractive indices in such satellites (a ball having a high refractive index and a meniscus having a low one). That makes it possible to focus the radiation incident on them to one point on the reflecting meniscus (Luneberg lens). 

The Blits spacecraft was launched into orbit in 2009 and confirmed the operability of retroflective glass satellites following the Luneberg lens principle.

The world’s first spherical glass spacecraft BLITZ confirmed the possibility of using satellites with a zero signature, which provide a submillimeter target error.

  • BLITS

Parameters

Blitz equivalent scattering surface
≥ 105 m²
Orbital altitude
835 km
Ball lens material
LK106 glass
External menisci material
TF105
Diameter
170 mm
Weight
7,5 kg
Target error
0.1 mm