Optical downlink and intersatellite illumination experiments with low-earth orbiting cubesats

T. S. Rose; D. W. Rowen; C. M. Coffman; G. Kinum; S. LaLumondiere; N. I. Werner; J. Wicker; G. A. Maul; R. P. Welle

doi:10.1117/12.2554958

2 March 2020 Optical downlink and intersatellite illumination experiments with low-earth orbiting cubesats

T. S. Rose, D. W. Rowen, C. M. Coffman, G. Kinum, S. LaLumondiere, N. I. Werner, J. Wicker, G. A. Maul, R. P. Welle

Proceedings Volume 11272, Free-Space Laser Communications XXXII; 112721P (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2554958
Event: SPIE LASE, 2020, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Small inexpensive satellite platforms, such as cubesats, offer opportunities for pathfinder experiments, space qualification of components and systems, and enhancements of larger assets. The Aerospace Corporation has been developing cubesats with lasercom transmitters for downlinking payload data to the ground from orbit. Recently we demonstrated a 200 Mbps link with a 1.5 U cubesat, AeroCube-7B, under NASA’s Optical Communications and Sensors Demonstration program [1]. The nearly error free link was accomplished using on-board star trackers for attitude determination and control and without any forward error correction. The capability developed under this effort has been implemented in follow-on missions for two 3U AeroCube- 11 vehicles where camera recorded data has been downlinked to the ground. While very modest data volumes (~1.5 GB) have been transmitted (to date) in a single pass under non-ideal conditions, the utility of this architecture for certain types of missions has been demonstrated. Additional experiments involving the illumination of the ISARA cubesat with the laser from AeroCube-7B demonstrated the ability to locate and illuminate a remote satellite in orbit, a necessary step towards realizing intersatellite links with this class of vehicles.

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T. S. Rose, D. W. Rowen, C. M. Coffman, G. Kinum, S. LaLumondiere, N. I. Werner, J. Wicker, G. A. Maul, and R. P. Welle "Optical downlink and intersatellite illumination experiments with low-earth orbiting cubesats", Proc. SPIE 11272, Free-Space Laser Communications XXXII, 112721P (2 March 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2554958

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KEYWORDS

Optical communications

Space operations

Cameras

Transmitters

Aerospace engineering

Satellites

Stars

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