Optical instruments designed for use with large telescopes need to be tested before being installed at their work site. This is especially true for space-based instruments. To perform these tests, an auxiliary optical system is required which simulated the telescope exit pupil. Two-mirror projection systems can be used for this purpose. In this paper, the first-order geometric properties and third-order aberrations of the general two-mirror system used at finite conjugates are examined. Relations are given in terms of five design parameters: object distance, image distance, exit pupil size, and the two mirror magnifications. A particular application of these relations is presented for a system designed to simulate the Hubble Space Telescope, for ground testing of the next generation of scientific instruments to be installed in the observatory. It is shown that a sufficient number of degrees of freedom are available to meet requirements when both mirrors are conics.
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