Commercial optical inter-satellite communication at high data rates

Mark Gregory; Frank F. Heine; Hartmut Kämpfner; Robert Lange; Michael Lutzer; Rolf Meyer

doi:10.1117/1.OE.51.3.031202

13 March 2012 Commercial optical inter-satellite communication at high data rates

Mark Gregory, Frank F. Heine, Hartmut Kämpfner, Robert Lange, Michael Lutzer, Rolf Meyer

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 51, Issue 3, 031202 (March 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.3.031202

Abstract

Laser communication terminals with data rates far above 1 Gbps have been in operation in orbit since January 2008, and the links established between two low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites have demonstrated error-free communication. Bit error rates better than 10−11 have been achieved without data encoding. Signal acquisition can be reproducibly achieved within a few seconds. After adaptation to larger link separation distances these laser communication terminals will be used in the low earth orbit-geosynchronous satellite (LEO-GEO) link of European data relay satellite (EDRS), the GEO European data relay system. LEO-to-ground and ground-to-LEO links have examined the impact of the atmosphere on such optical links. In the future, high data rate GEO-to-ground links will require ground stations equipped with adaptive optics, which are currently under development.

Citation Download Citation

Mark Gregory, Frank F. Heine, Hartmut Kämpfner, Robert Lange, Michael Lutzer, and Rolf Meyer "Commercial optical inter-satellite communication at high data rates," Optical Engineering 51(3), 031202 (13 March 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.3.031202

Published: 13 March 2012

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