Maiden flight of DarkStar sensor a success
High-quality imagery collected and processed from the CA-236 DarkStar sensor, developed by Recon/Optical Inc. (Barrington, IL), exceeded initial expectations on its maiden flight. The sensor was flown by the Air National Guard (Reno, NV) for a critical milestone test in the Tier III Minus DarkStar program. The CA-236 is an electro-optical panoramic scan reconnaissance sensor with 36-in. focal length, medium/high altitude, medium field of view, high resolution, and forward-motion compensation. "The CA-236 produced high-quality imagery in near real time under representative operating conditions," says Harry Berman, program manager of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.