Deep space optical communications

Abhijit Biswas; Meera Srinivasan; Sabino Piazzolla; Daniel Hoppe

doi:10.1117/12.2296426

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15 February 2018 Deep space optical communications

Abhijit Biswas, Meera Srinivasan, Sabino Piazzolla, Daniel Hoppe

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Proceedings Volume 10524, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXX; 105240U (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2296426
Event: SPIE LASE, 2018, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The future demand for enhanced telecommunication capacity required to support human and robotic exploration from deep-space has motivated the advancement of free-space laser communication technologies for the past few decades. Steady advances in these technologies, validated through space-to-ground demonstrations, have resulted in incremental advances with the deep-space optical communications (DSOC) technology demonstration being one of the next milestones on NASA’s roadmap. NASA’s Psyche Mission to launch early next decade plans to host a DSOC flight laser transceiver for link demonstrations extending from 0.1 to farther than 2 astronomical units (AU). The capabilities validated though this demonstration, we expect, could spur the use of optical communications infrastructure around Mars in the next few decades. In this paper we summarize ongoing activities underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in preparation for the DSOC technology demonstration and go on to present discussions on the drivers for developing a robust deep space laser communications operational capability.

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Abhijit Biswas, Meera Srinivasan, Sabino Piazzolla, and Daniel Hoppe "Deep space optical communications", Proc. SPIE 10524, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXX, 105240U (15 February 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2296426

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