Optical Communications Link Design For The Tracking And Data Acquisition System

R. G. Marshalek

doi:10.1117/12.940029

3 June 1987 Optical Communications Link Design For The Tracking And Data Acquisition System

R. G. Marshalek

Proceedings Volume 0756, Optical Technologies for Space Communication Systems; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.940029
Event: OE LASE'87 and EO Imaging Symposium, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

The communications performances of laser intersatellite links for a future NASA data-relay system are analyzed and block diagrams of necessary optical terminals generated based on technology projected to be available by 1992. Direct-detection optical communications subsystems are selected to interconnect two geosynchronous (GEO) satellites separated by 160Ã‚Â° along the GEO arc and to interconnect a low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite and either of the GEO satellites. The terminal designs are based on power budget calculations performed for the various links with and without an optical background in either the receiver or transmitter fields of view (F0Vs). Optical antennas with 18-cm and 30-cm primary mirror diameters on the LEO and GEO satellites can achieve a 10^-6 average bit error rate during normal operations in each of the forward and return optical links with beginning-of-life (BOL) power margins of approximately 7 dB. With an optical background in the receiver FOV, communications in the GEO-GEO return link are interrupted, the LEO-GEO return link is undegraded, and the GEO-GEO and LEO-GEO forward links remain functional with reduced BOL power margins. With an optical background in the transmitter FOV, the GEO-GEO forward and return links are noticeably degraded, the LEO-GEO return link is only slightly degraded, and the LEO-GEO forward link remains undegraded.

Citation Download Citation

R. G. Marshalek "Optical Communications Link Design For The Tracking And Data Acquisition System", Proc. SPIE 0756, Optical Technologies for Space Communication Systems, (3 June 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.940029

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