An overview of key optical communications technologies under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center

Félix A. Miranda; Sarah A. Tedder; Brian E. Vyhnalek; Jennifer N. Downey; Adam C. Wroblewski; Casey J. Bakula; Evan J. Katz; John D. Lekki; Rachel Dudukovich; Alan Hylton; Daniel E. Raible; Robert R. Romanofsky

doi:10.1117/12.2579420

5 March 2021 An overview of key optical communications technologies under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center

Félix A. Miranda, Sarah A. Tedder, Brian E. Vyhnalek, Jennifer N. Downey, Adam C. Wroblewski, Casey J. Bakula, Evan J. Katz, John D. Lekki, Rachel Dudukovich, Alan Hylton, Daniel E. Raible, Robert R. Romanofsky

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11692, Optical Interconnects XXI; 116920X (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2579420
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is continuously working in furthering its space and aero communications capabilities required for the successful accomplishment of its aerospace missions. With the ever present demand for higher communication data rates and larger bandwidth required by future space exploration missions, optimization of the communications systems supporting such missions is necessary to ensure that critical scientific data and high definition video and imagery of human and robotic exploration is properly transmitted back to Earth. In the aeronautics side, the envisioned increase in aircraft volumes under the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystems could benefit from communications capabilities impervious to interference and free from spectrum limitations constraints. This work discusses examples of GRC’s ongoing technology development and integration efforts relevant to the aforementioned scenarios. In particular, the ability to increase the versatility, affordability, and reliability of ground-based optical receivers for space-to-ground communications will be presented. Our current activities on the development of highly secure airborne laser communications links augmented with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) will also be discussed, as well as scenarios in which optical communications could be beneficial to UAM/AAM. The status of efforts in quantum communications, high rate optical networks, and on the development of current efforts to demonstrate integrated Radio/optical communications (iROC) will also be addressed.

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Félix A. Miranda, Sarah A. Tedder, Brian E. Vyhnalek, Jennifer N. Downey, Adam C. Wroblewski, Casey J. Bakula, Evan J. Katz, John D. Lekki, Rachel Dudukovich, Alan Hylton, Daniel E. Raible, and Robert R. Romanofsky "An overview of key optical communications technologies under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center", Proc. SPIE 11692, Optical Interconnects XXI, 116920X (5 March 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2579420

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