Mai ka hopena o nā makahiki 1960 a me nā makahiki 1970, ua hoʻololi ʻia ka hapa nui o nā ʻōnaehana kiʻi lewa kuʻuna e ka lewa a me ka aerospace electro-optical a me nā ʻōnaehana ʻike uila. ʻOiai ke hana nui nei nā kiʻi lewa kuʻuna ma ka nalu ʻike-mālamalama, ʻo nā ʻōnaehana ʻike mamao o ka ea a me ka honua e hoʻopuka i ka ʻikepili kikohoʻe e uhi ana i ke kukui ʻike ʻia, ʻike ʻia ka infrared, thermal infrared, a me ka microwave spectral regions. He kōkua mau nā ʻano wehewehe ʻike kuʻuna ma ke kiʻi lewa. Eia nō naʻe, uhi ʻia ka ʻike mamao i kahi ākea o nā noi, me nā hana ʻē aʻe e like me ka hoʻohālikelike ʻana o nā waiwai i manaʻo ʻia, nā ana kikoʻī o nā mea, a me ka nānā ʻana i nā kiʻi kikohoʻe no ka ʻohi ʻike.
ʻO ka ʻike mamao, e pili ana i nā ʻano āpau o nā ʻenehana ʻike lōʻihi ʻole pili, he ʻano hana e hoʻohana ai i ka electromagnetism e ʻike, hoʻopaʻa a ana i nā ʻano o kahi pahuhopu a ua manaʻo 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: active a passive sensing, kahi o Lidar sensing e hana nei, hiki ke hoʻohana i kona ikehu ponoʻī e hoʻokuʻu i ka mālamalama i ka pahu hopu a ʻike i ke kukui i ʻike ʻia mai ia mea.