SPACE: New nano-satellite system yields high-res imagery at lower cost.

As revealed by the new study, published in the journal Optica, groups of small satellites the size of milk cartons, when arranged in a ring shape, can focus light onto another imaging satellite, producing images rivaling those captured by large telescopes and their full-frame, lens-based or concave mirror systems.

“Several previous assumptions about long-range photography were incorrect,” Bulbul said. “We found that you only need a small part of a telescope lens to obtain quality images.”

Researchers were able to capture high-resolution images using only a tiny fraction of a full lens on each nano-satellite model.

Interesting, and with obvious intelligence applications.