Broadband backhaul communication for stratospheric platforms: the stratospheric optical payload experiment (STROPEX)

Joachim Horwath; Markus Knapek; Bernhard Epple; Martin Brechtelsbauer; Brandon Wilkerson

doi:10.1117/12.680824

1 September 2006 Broadband backhaul communication for stratospheric platforms: the stratospheric optical payload experiment (STROPEX)

Joachim Horwath, Markus Knapek, Bernhard Epple, Martin Brechtelsbauer, Brandon Wilkerson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6304, Free-Space Laser Communications VI; 63041N (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.680824
Event: SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A high bitrate optical downlink was performed by the stratospheric optical payload experiment (STROPEX), a part of the EU CAPANINA project. The STROPEX objectives were to design and build the necessary hardware to demonstrate an optical backhaul downlink from a stratospheric platform to the ground and to carry out channel measurements on the link. A successful measurement campaign at ESRANGE near Kiruna, Sweden achieved all of these objectives. The transportable optical ground station received an almost error free 1.25 Gbit/s data signal from the payload over a distance of 64.3 km with a bit error rate of better than 10^-9. This paper gives an overview of the stratospheric optical payload experiment, focusing on the airborne free-space experimental laser terminal (FELT). Additionally, the successful measurement campaign is described and the operation of the experiment is outlined.

Citation Download Citation

Joachim Horwath, Markus Knapek, Bernhard Epple, Martin Brechtelsbauer, and Brandon Wilkerson "Broadband backhaul communication for stratospheric platforms: the stratospheric optical payload experiment (STROPEX)", Proc. SPIE 6304, Free-Space Laser Communications VI, 63041N (1 September 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.680824

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