Ground-to-satellite optical link tests between Japanese laser communications terminal and European geostationary satellite ARTEMIS

Morio Toyoshima; Shiro Yamakawa; Toshihiko Yamawaki; Katsuyoshi Arai; Marcos Reyes; Angel Alonso; Zoran Sodnik; Benoit Demelenne

doi:10.1117/12.530138

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16 June 2004 Ground-to-satellite optical link tests between Japanese laser communications terminal and European geostationary satellite ARTEMIS

Morio Toyoshima, Shiro Yamakawa, Toshihiko Yamawaki, Katsuyoshi Arai, Marcos Reyes, Angel Alonso, Zoran Sodnik, Benoit Demelenne

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Proceedings Volume 5338, Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XVI; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.530138
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2004, San Jose, Ca, United States

Abstract

Optical acquisition, tracking and communication tests were performed between a Japanese laser communications terminal placed within the ESAs optical ground station at Tenerife, Spain and a European optical payload onboard the ARTEMIS satellite in geostationary earth orbit at 21.5° East. The optical communications tests at Tenerife were to verify the end-to-end optical characteristics such as intensity, sensitivity, wavelength, and polarization, as well as the modulation scheme of optical signals and acquisition sequences of the terminals under fairly good atmospheric conditions. The downlink's bit error rate was on the order of 10^-10 in spite of atmospheric turbulence. Atmospheric turbulence induced signal fading increased the uplink bit error rate, the best value of which was 2.5x10^-5. The Japanese laser communication terminal itself autonomously established and maintained the ground-to-satellite optical link with the ESA's optical payload from the beginning to the end of a 20-minute session. The test results show that the laser communication terminal which is to be launched with the Japanese OICETS satellite is optically compatible with the optical communications payload onboard the European ARTEMIS satellite.

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Morio Toyoshima, Shiro Yamakawa, Toshihiko Yamawaki, Katsuyoshi Arai, Marcos Reyes, Angel Alonso, Zoran Sodnik, and Benoit Demelenne "Ground-to-satellite optical link tests between Japanese laser communications terminal and European geostationary satellite ARTEMIS", Proc. SPIE 5338, Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XVI, (16 June 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.530138

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