We present current and near-term uses of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers for NASA science and spacecraft applications. Fiber lasers and amplifiers offer numerous advantages for the deployment of instruments on exploration and science remote sensing satellites. Ground-based and airborne systems provide an evolutionary path to space and a means for calibration and verification of space-borne systems. NASA fiber-laser-based instruments include laser sounders and lidars for measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapor and methane and a pulsed or pseudo-noise (PN) code laser ranging system in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength band. The associated fiber transmitters include high-power erbium, ytterbium, and neodymium systems and a fiber laser pumped optical parametric oscillator. We discuss recent experimental progress on these systems and instrument prototypes for ongoing development efforts.x low susceptibility to optical misalignment and contamination (fusion splices); x strong leverage from the laser and telecommunications industries;x high-reliability pump laser diodes [leveraged from telecommunications]; anthony.w.yu@nasa.gov; phone 1(
NASA’s Dragonfly mission is a rotorcraft lander which will explore several geologic locations on Saturn’s moon, Titan and investigate evidence of surface-level prebiotic chemistry as well as search for chemical signatures of water-based and/or hydrocarbon-based life. To perform molecular composition investigations in-situ, the payload includes the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS), being developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). DraMS will utilize laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) to interrogate surface samples and measure the organic composition. Enabling this science capability is the Throttled Hydrocarbon Analysis by Nanosecond Optical Source (THANOS) laser being developed at NASA-GSFC. The THANOS laser is comprised of a solid state, passively Q-Switched Nd:YAG oscillator which is frequency converted to 266 nm and utilizes a RTP high voltage electro-optic for pulse energy control. The laser outputs <2.0 ns pulses with a maximum energy of approximately 200 uJ which can be emitted in 1 - 50 shot bursts at 100 Hz while performing LDMS science operations. The laser has the capability to throttle its UV pulse energy output from full attenuation to maximum energy to provide varying levels of fluence on samples in the DraMS instrument. We report on the THANOS’ laser technology development and space qualification effort including vibration, thermal vacuum cycling, radiation as well as optical damage testing due to Titan’s atmospheric composition, performed at NASA-GSFC from 2019 through 2022.
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