Mai ka hopena o nā makahiki 1960 a me ka hoʻomaka ʻana o nā makahiki 1970, ua pani ʻia ka hapa nui o nā ʻōnaehana kiʻi lewa kuʻuna e nā ʻōnaehana sensor electro-optical a me nā ʻōnaehana sensor uila ea a me ka aerospace. ʻOiai ke hana nui nei nā kiʻi lewa kuʻuna ma ka nalu kukui ʻike ʻia, ʻo nā ʻōnaehana ʻike mamao ea a me ka honua hou e hana i ka ʻikepili kikohoʻe e uhi ana i ka mālamalama ʻike ʻia, ka infrared i hōʻike ʻia, ka infrared thermal, a me nā wahi spectral microwave. He kōkua mau nā ʻano wehewehe ʻike kuʻuna i ke kiʻi lewa. Eia nō naʻe, uhi ka ʻike mamao i kahi ākea o nā noi, me nā hana hou e like me ke kumu hoʻohālike theoretical o nā waiwai pahuhopu, nā ana spectral o nā mea, a me ka nānā ʻana i nā kiʻi kikohoʻe no ka unuhi ʻike.
ʻO ka ʻike mamao, e pili ana i nā ʻano āpau o nā ʻenehana ʻike lōʻihi ʻaʻole pili, he ʻano hana ia e hoʻohana ana i ka electromagnetism e ʻike, hoʻopaʻa a ana i nā ʻano o kahi pahuhopu a ua hāpai mua ʻia ka wehewehe ʻana i nā makahiki 1950. ʻO ke kahua o ka ʻike mamao a me ka palapala ʻāina, ua māhele ʻia i 2 mau ʻano ʻike: ʻike hana a me ka ʻike passive, kahi e hana ai ʻo Lidar sensing, hiki ke hoʻohana i kona ikehu ponoʻī e hoʻokuʻu i ka mālamalama i ka pahuhopu a ʻike i ka mālamalama i hōʻike ʻia mai ia mea.