Qualification and performance of a high-efficiency laser transmitter for deep-space optical communications

Dinu, Mihaela; Ahrens, Robert G.; Sochor, Timothy A.; Dailey, James M.; Prego, Richard; Berry, Michael; Crandall, Lucas T.; Kolchmeyer, John; Monte, Anthony; Engelberth, Jon W.; Caltabellotta, Thomas C.; Grange, Jane D. Le; Wendt, Nicole C.; Wright, Malcolm W.; Jaques, J.

doi:10.1117/12.2613448

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The stationary electronics module (SEM), with JPL heritage flight design [11] and the laser transmitter assembly (LTA) delivered by CACI [12], were integrated and interfaced to the OTA. Isolation and pointing assembly (IPA) struts, delivered by Control Dynamics Inc. (CDI) were integrated next.…”

Section: Flight Laser Transceiver (Flt)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep space optical communications technology demonstration

Biswas,

Srinivasan,

Andrews

et al. 2024

Free-Space Laser Communications XXXVI

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) payload, launched with the Psyche spacecraft on October 13, 2023, is facilitating an ongoing technology demonstration (TD) of free-space optical communications (FSOC), from beyond the earth-moon system. The DSOC flight laser transceiver (FLT), can acquire a 1064 nm uplink laser from earth, and return a 1550 nm, serially concatenated pulse position modulated (SCPPM) signal, to earth. The FLT uses a 22 cm diameter unobscured optical transceiver assembly, coupled to a 4 W average power laser transmitter, supplemented with actuators, sensors, electronics and software. A 5-7 kW average power, multi-beam 1064 nm uplink laser assembly integrated to the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) near Wrightwood, CA serves as the Ground Laser Transmitter (GLT). The DSOC Ground Laser Receiver (GLR) at the Palomar Observatory, Hale telescope (operated by Caltech Optical Observatories), consists of a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) array, connected to a ground signal processing assembly. Signal photon arrivals are detected and processed to extract information codewords at the GLR. A Mission Operations System (MOS) co-located with the Psyche Project Mission Operations Center, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), coordinates DSOC technology demonstration activities. This paper presents a system overview, mission description and operations architecture for the TD. Early results that include downlink at maximum downlink data-rate of 267 Mb/s from 0.37 astronomical units (AU) or 55 million kilometers are presented.

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Section: Flight Laser Transceiver (Flt)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep space optical communications technology demonstration

Biswas,

Srinivasan,

Andrews

et al. 2024

Free-Space Laser Communications XXXVI

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“…Therefore, changes in the polarization state due to stress birefringence can affect the performance of the link. 6,118 There are several devices (see Sec. 2) in FSOC terminals that can be affected by stress birefringence and therefore affect the polarization of the beam.…”

Section: Polarization Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this case, an effort has to be made to ensure that the polarization is maintained within boundaries in the adverse space environment. 6 The maintenance of polarization required for this kind of link is quantified through the PER.…”

Section: Polarization Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Opto-thermo-mechanical phenomena in satellite free-space optical communications: survey and challenges

Badás,

Piron,

Bouwmeester

et al. 2023

Opt. Eng.

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Growing interest in free-space optical communication, due to the high bandwidth and security provided by these links, has generated the necessity of designing high-performance satellite terminals. In order to develop these terminals, the optothermo-mechanical phenomena that appear in the space environment and their effect on optical communication links have to be understood in detail. A review of the opto-thermo-mechanical phenomena occurring in spaceborne terminals is presented, describing the relevance of each of them. The methods found to compute the impact on the communication performance due to opto-thermo-mechanical phenomena are collected by building the bridge between the optical and communication performance parameters. Finally, techniques available to mitigate the detrimental effects of these phenomena are classified, and the relevant research challenges are identified.

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“…Though the majority of the current systems and demonstrations utilize polarization maintaining amplifiers that output a linear polarization state [2] [3] [4], future systems will likely encode data in two polarization states and therefore require a SM/dual polarization amplifier [2]. Analysis of theory and published link budgets [3] [4] [5], leads to transmit power requirements of approximately 100W/Tbps and 1000W/Tbps for GEO-to-Ground and ground-to-GEO links respectively under typical use cases. These power requirements are well above those of single amplifier or amplifier systems demonstrated in the C-band.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extremely powerful optical sources (EPOS) for Tbit/s satellite links

Welch¹,

Edmunds²,

Thipparapu³

et al. 2023

Free-Space Laser Communications XXXV

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Satellite free-space optical communication offers higher data rates, lower power consumption and mass savings compared to traditional RF and microwave technologies that are currently more widely deployed. Data rates are quickly increasing; with higher data throughputs enabled if higher power optical amplifiers are available.In this paper submission, G&H discuss initial scoping work performed in project EPOS (Extremely Powerful Optical Sources), a European Space Agency (ESA) funded development programme to significantly increase the optical power available from C-Band optical amplifiers. The project will develop a 100W amplifier for spaceborne use and a 1000W combined amplifier source for ground that will be enabling components in Tbit/s links.

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Qualification and performance of a high-efficiency laser transmitter for deep-space optical communications

Cited by 7 publications

References 5 publications

Deep space optical communications technology demonstration

Deep space optical communications technology demonstration

Opto-thermo-mechanical phenomena in satellite free-space optical communications: survey and challenges

Extremely powerful optical sources (EPOS) for Tbit/s satellite links

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