Proceedings Article | 29 August 2009
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Satellites, Charge-coupled devices, CCD image sensors, Satellite communications, Laser damage threshold, Laser optics, Pulsed laser operation, Satellite navigation systems, Telecommunications
The reconnaissance satellite, communication satellite and navigation satellite used in
the military applications have played more and more important role in the advanced technique
wars and already become the significant support and aid system for military actions. With the
development of all kinds of satellites, anti-satellite laser weapons emerge as the times require. The
experiments and analyses of laser disturbing CCD (charge coupled detector) in near ground have
been studied by many research groups, but their results are not suitable to the case that using laser
disturbs the satellite-based detector. Because the distance between the satellite-based detector and
the ground is very large, it is difficult to damage it directly. However the optical receive system of
satellite detector has large optical gain, so laser disturbing satellite detector is possible. In order to
determine its feasibility, the theoretical analyses and experimental study are carried out in the
paper. Firstly, the influence factors of laser disturbing satellite detector are analyzed in detail,
which including laser power density on the surface of the detector after long distance transmission,
and laser power density threshold for disturbing etc. These factors are not only induced by the
satellite orbit, but dependence on the following parameters: laser average power in the ground,
laser beam quality, tracing and aiming precision and atmospheric transmission. A calculation
model is developed by considering all factors which then the power density entering into the
detector can be calculated. Secondly, the laser disturbing experiment is performed by using LD
(laser diode) with the wavelength 808 nm disturbing CCD 5 kilometer away, which the disturbing
threshold value is obtained as 3.55×10-4mW/cm2 that coincides with other researcher's results.
Finally, using the theoretical model, the energy density of laser on the photosensitive surface of
MSTI-3 satellite detector is estimated as about 100mW/cm2, which is largely exceed the
disturbing threshold and therefore verify the feasibility of using this kind of laser disturbing the
satellite-based detector. According to the results. using the similar laser power density absolutely
saturate the requirements to laser disturbing satellite-based detector. If considering the peak power
of pulsed laser, even decrease laser average power, it is also possible to damage the detector. This
result will provide the reliable evidences to evaluate the effect of laser disturbing satellite-based
detector.
