Sensor device for a missile

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The object of the present invention is to provide a sensor device of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, in which the level of structural expenditure is relatively low so that it is possible to provide a missile, in particular an autonomously guided missile, with simple means.
In a sensor device pursuant to the invention, the foregoing object is attained in that a ray source is arranged stationarily on the missile, and that a gyro-optical device is located between the ray source and the matrix detector, wherein the gyro-optical device is cardanically mounted in the missile.
The sensor device according to the invention has the advantages that it is of a relatively simple structure and is suitable for precisely ascertaining the respective positional angle and the respective rotational or roll rate of a missile by means of gyro-stabilised optical means and matrix detector which is fixed to the missile.
Autonomously guided missiles with imaging search head which usually involves an IR-search head involve the use of IR-matrix detectors which are usually cooled, in the search phase.
Such detectors have for example 128.
128 pixel elements.
By means of the sensor device according to the invention, it is possible to use the matrix detector which is preferably an IR-matrix detector in the flight phase of the projectile, which occurs in respect of time prior to the search phase, for determining the flight position and the roll speed, that is to say the speed of rotation, of the missile.
The sensor device according to the invention is suitable therefore not only for determining the flight position and rate of rotation in the flight phase which for example may involve a glide phase in order to achieve a maximum flight distance, but also for corresponding determination in the active target-search phase.
For that purpose, the invention provides for using an infra-red light source which is fixedly installed in the missile and which is preferably of dot configuration, and which is for example an LED infra-red diode