NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser transmitter for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. The laser transmitter is one of the potential contributions to the LISA mission from NASA. Our development effort has included a master oscillator (MO), a power amplifier (PA), a frequency reference system (FRS), a power monitor detector (PMON), and laser electronics module (LEM). We are working on their design, performance evaluation, environmental testing, and reliability testing for space flight. We have built TRL 4 laser optical modules based on the MO and PA, which meets most performance requirements. One of the TRL 4 laser optical modules has been delivered to ESA for independent evaluation. TRL 6 versions of MO and PA are being built and evaluated at GSFC. TRL 5 and 6 versions of laser electronics are under development. In this paper, we will describe our progress to date and plans to demonstrate and deliver a TRL 6 laser demonstrator system to ESA by 2024.
Flight quality solid-state lasers require a unique and extensive set of testing and qualification processes, both at the system and component levels to insure the laser's promised performance. As important as the overall laser transmitter design is, the quality and performance of individual subassemblies, optics, and electro-optics dictate the final laser unit’s quality. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) laser transmitters employ all the usual components typical for a diode-pumped, solid-state laser, yet must each go through their own individual process of specification, modeling, performance demonstration, inspection, and destructive testing. These qualification processes as well as the test results for the laser crystals, laser diode arrays, electro-optics, and optics, will be reviewed as well as the relevant critical issues encountered, prior to their installation in the GEDI flight laser units.
We present the results of a three-year operational-aging test of a specially designed prototype flight laser operating at 1064 nm, 10 kHz, 1ns, 15W average power and externally frequency-doubled. Fibertek designed and built the q-switched, 1064nm laser and this laser was in a sealed container of dry air pressurized to 1.3 atm. The external frequency doubler was in a clean room at a normal air pressure. The goal of the experiment was to measure degradation modes at 1064 and 532 nm separately. The external frequency doubler consisted of a Lithium triborate, LiB3O5, non-critically phase-matched crystal. After some 1064 nm light was diverted for diagnostics, 13.7W of fundamental power was available to pump the doubling crystal. Between 8.5W and 10W of 532nm power was generated, depending on the level of stress and degradation. The test consisted of two stages, the first at 0.3 J/cm2 for almost 1 year, corresponding to expected operational conditions, and the second at 0.93 J/cm2 for the remainder of the experiment, corresponding to accelerated optical stress testing. We observed no degradation at the first stress-level and linear degradation at the second stress-level. The linear degradation was linked to doubler crystal output surface changes from laser-assisted contamination. We estimate the expected lifetime for the flight laser at 532 nm using fluence as the stress parameter. This work was done for NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) LIDAR at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD with the goal of 1 trillion shots lifetime.
The effects of long-term exposure to high intensity 532 nm radiation on various dielectric-coated optics are
studied. To investigate potential photodarkening effects on optical surfaces, an accelerated life test
platform was constructed where optics were exposed to 532 nm radiation from a short-pulse, high
repetition rate fiber amplifier at total doses up to 1 trillion shots. The first run of trillion-shot tests were
conducted on e-beam deposited and ion beam sputtering (IBS) coated high reflecting mirrors with onsurface
intensities ranging from 1.0-1.4 GW/cm2. It was found that the e-beam coated mirrors failed
catastrophically at less than 150 billion shots, while the IBS coated mirror was able to complete the trillionshot
test with no measurable loss of reflectivity. Profiling the IBS mirror surface with a high-resolution
white light interferometer post-irradiation revealed a ~10 nm high photocontamination deposit at the
irradiation site that closely matched the intensity profile of the laser spot. Trillion-shot surface exposure
tests were also conducted at multiple surface sites of an LBO frequency doubling crystal at ~1.5 GW/cm2 at
multiple surface sites. The transmitted power and on-surface beam size were monitored throughout the
tests, and periodic measurements of the beam quality and waist location of the transmitted light were also
made using an M2 meter. No changes in transmitted power or M2 were observed in any of the tests, but 3D
surface profiling revealed laser-induced contamination deposits at each site tested.
In this paper, we present laser damage threshold testing performed on Un-Coated Fused Silica (SiO2) substrates after multiple laser pulse irradiation. We will outline our methods of testing and observation of laser damage. Using carefully
prepared 1” optical flats with 0.25” thickness, we observe competition between laser damage on the surface and in the
bulk of the optic. Damage in the bulk is observed at the level of approximately 40-50 J/cm2 when irradiated with 1,000-
3,000 shots per site. Damage appears initially on the back surface of the substrate (without visible damage to the
front/focused surface) and propagates slowly in time through the bulk towards the front of the optic. We believe this is
due to self-focusing of the laser beam in the bulk material. An understanding of surface damage threshold has important
consequences for applications, such as LIDAR, laser machining, and the lifetime of optical components. This work was
done within the laser mission testing for NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-II (ICESat-II) program at
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
The objective of this effort is to develop more reliable, higher efficiency diode pumped Nd:YAG laser systems for space applications by leveraging technology investments from the DoD and other commercial industries. Our goal is to design, build, test and demonstrate the effectiveness of combining 885 nm laser pump diodes and the use of ceramic Nd:YAG for future flight missions. The significant reduction in thermal loading on the gain medium by the use of 885 nm pump lasers will improve system efficiency.
A compact, passively q-switched, single mode laser has been developed for space based lidar applications. The
Nd:YAG laser produces 50mJ pulse-energy at 100 Hz repetition rate in a near diffraction limited beam with more than
99.99% of the pulses in a single longitudinal mode. This laser was initially developed as a candidate for the ICESat-2
mission, which requires five years continuous operation in space. The laser is based on two newly developed
technologies, Etalon Coupled High Output (ECHO) oscillator and Ring Amplified Solid State Laser (RASSL). In this
paper, we will present the laser design and discuss the laser performance and experimental results. We will also present
a unique laser package concept.
Over the last two decades NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has developed several laser systems for space
application. The aging behavior of a laser system varies depending on the complexity of the system and the technologies
used. One limitation of reliability models trying to predict system performance has been the lack of test data. Extended
testing is an effective way to determine the reliability, and long term stability of laser systems. In this paper the results
from extended testing of two laser system are presented. One system has been operating for over two and a half billion
shots in air while the second system has accumulated half a billion shots while operating in a vacuum environment.
NASA's space-borne laser missions have been dominated by low repetition rate (<100Hz) Q-switched laser systems,
which use Nd:YAG laser crystals, and are pumped by quasi-continuous wave (QCW) 808 nm laser diode arrays (LDAs).
The diode group at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has been responsible for the screening and qualification
of LDAs for several missions. The main goal has been to identify LDAs that can withstand the harsh space environment,
and minimize risks associated with LDA degradation or failure. This paper presents a summary of recent research
activities, and describes the results from extended testing of multiple LDAs in air and vacuum environments.
In the recent past, NASA's space-borne laser missions have been dominated by low repetition rate (<100Hz), Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers pumped by quasi-continuous wave (QCW) 808 nm laser diode arrays (LDA). QCW LDA reliability data is limited and their mechanisms of failure is poorly understood. Our group has been working in gathering statistically significant data on these devices and have developed testing strategies to achieve mission success in a cost-effective manner. In this paper, we present our approach for qualifying the LDAs for the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument scheduled to launch aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. We describe our strategy to mitigate risk due to LDA failure given cost and schedule constraints. The results from extended testing of multiple LDAs in air and in vacuum are also presented.
The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) is one of seven instruments aboard the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft with the objectives to determine the global
topography of the lunar surface at high resolution, measure landing site slopes and search
for polar ices in shadowed regions. The LOLA laser transmitter is a passively Q-switched
crossed-Porro resonator. All components used in the laser have space flight heritage. The
flight laser bench houses two oscillators (a primary and a cold spare) that are designed to
operate sequentially during the mission. If the primary laser can no longer provide
adequate scientific data products, the secondary laser will be turned on. The baseline
mission calls for LOLA (and LRO) to spend about one year studying the Moon. Since
LOLA operates at 28 Hz, the laser system needs to produce approximately one billion
pulses during the primary one year mission. To validate that the LOLA laser design is
capable of meeting this requirement, the LOLA Engineering Model (EM) laser has been
subjected to extended operation testing in vacuum. In this paper we will summarize the
longevity validation test effort of the LOLA EM laser.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has been engaging in Earth and planetary science instruments development
for many years. With stunning topographic details of the Mars surface to Earth's surface maps and ice sheets dynamics
of recent years, NASA GSFC has provided vast amount of scientific data products that gave detailed insights into
Earth's and planetary sciences. In this paper we will review the past and present of space-qualified laser programs at
GSFC and offer insights into future laser based science instrumentations.
NASA is conducting a series of component-level tests, to better understand the reliability and the effects of a spacebased
environment on the operation of diode-pumped, solid-state lasers by simulating the unique and harsh environment
of launch, vacuum and radiation exposure of a typical mission.
We report on our continuing work on high-power, laser-diode arrays (LDA) which are used as an energy source for
several proposed and currently flying diode-pumped solid-state lasers missions (ICESAT, MESSENGER and LRO.)
The laser-diode arrays are a critical component which can determine the reliability of the whole laser system. NASA
needs reliability and performance data for these components to minimize the risks for space-based laser programs.
We are concentrating on laser diode arrays emitting at 808 nm and operating quasi-cw with peak powers of ~100 watts
per bar at 100 amps. The laser diode arrays are operated with a duty cycle from 0.6% to 2% and current pulses from 50
to 100 amps peak. We studied the effects of power cycling and temperature cycling on the performance of the diode
arrays. We also conducted vacuum test as well as vibration and radiation tests. The laser diode arrays have
accumulated more then 5.0 billion pulses during some of these tests and continue to operate within specifications.
KEYWORDS: Semiconductor lasers, Reliability, Inspection, Temperature metrology, High power lasers, Near field optics, Diodes, Failure analysis, Aerospace engineering, Satellites
NASA's requirements for high reliability, high performance satellite laser instruments have driven the investigation of many critical components; specifically, 808 nm laser diode array (LDA) pump devices. Performance and comprehensive characterization data of Quasi-CW, High-power, laser diode arrays is presented.
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