Research on the influence of micro-vibration on the dynamic imaging quality of an off-axis catadioptric star camera

To address the challenge of imaging quality degradation in the highly directional star camera under micro-vibration loads, this study calculated the optical sensitivity equation, mapped the rigid body displacements of optical components to image motions, and proposed a quantitative method for evaluating the dynamic imaging quality. It conducted simulation calculations on the imaging quality degradation of the star camera under micro-vibration. Results show that the imaging quality of the star camera does not degrade. Through a sweep frequency vibration test, the relative errors between the test results and the simulation results of the first-order frequencies in the X/Y/Z directions were 3.02%, 2.04%, and 1.67%, respectively. Through an image motion measurement test, the relative errors between the test results and the simulation results of the image motions in the X/Y directions were 8.12% and 9.95%, respectively. These verified the rationality of the star camera structure and the accuracy of the simulation results. The findings provide guidance for the structural optimization of space optical star cameras and the design of vibration isolation systems.