One downside of this mechanism is that it reduces the light-gathering power of the telescope according to what fraction of the cycle the shutter is open.
Another possible concern may be that while the shutter is partially open, the resolving power of the telescope may be reduced, introducing diffraction artifacts into the image. A liquid crystal or Kerr cell shutter opens and closes everywhere across the full aperture at the same time, but they introduce polarizing elements into the light path.
The shutter in StealthTransit's current product is a leaf shutter, and for its original purpose of blocking satellite interference, the above concerns are probably not an issue, if the shutter is open almost all the time.
Another possible concern may be that while the shutter is partially open, the resolving power of the telescope may be reduced, introducing diffraction artifacts into the image. A liquid crystal or Kerr cell shutter opens and closes everywhere across the full aperture at the same time, but they introduce polarizing elements into the light path.
The shutter in StealthTransit's current product is a leaf shutter, and for its original purpose of blocking satellite interference, the above concerns are probably not an issue, if the shutter is open almost all the time.
https://stealthtransit.com/