Status of the lunar laser communication demonstration

Don M. Boroson; Bryan S. Robinson

doi:10.1117/12.2011483

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19 March 2013 Status of the lunar laser communication demonstration

Don M. Boroson, Bryan S. Robinson

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Proceedings Volume 8610, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXV; 861002 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2011483
Event: SPIE LASE, 2013, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration will be NASA's first attempt to demonstrate optical communications from a lunar orbiting spacecraft to an Earth-based ground receiver. A low SWAP optical terminal has been built and integrated onto the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft, presently scheduled to launch in 2013. LLCD will demonstrate duplex optical communications between this small space terminal and a multi-aperture photon-counting ground terminal at downlink data rates of up to 622 Mbps and uplink data rates of up to 20 Mbps. The system will also perform two-way time-of-flight measurements with the potential to perform ranging with sub-centimeter accuracy. As of the time of this conference, the Lincoln-built ground terminal has been constructed at a temporary site near Lincoln Lab nnd the two alternate ground terminals – being built by JPL and ESA – are in preparation.

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Don M. Boroson and Bryan S. Robinson "Status of the lunar laser communication demonstration", Proc. SPIE 8610, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXV, 861002 (19 March 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2011483

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