Lidar Remote Sensing System

A lidar remote sensing system wherein a laser signal is transmitted along an optical path through a telescope having a primary and secondary mirrors and a rotating prism at the telescope output. When the reflected signal from the target is received it is passed back through the system to a detector, where it is heterodyned with a signal from a local oscillator to detect Doppler frequency shifts in the returned signal. Since the prism is rotating, the prism will be at one position when the signal is transmitted and at another when the returned signal is received. This causes the reflected signal to be off the optical path, reducing the power of the returned signal. To correct this problem a de-rotator or prism is mounted for rotation, in synchronism with the rotating prism. about the optical path in a position to intersect the returned beam and refract it back onto the optical path to reduce the power loss in the returned signal.