Intersatellite laser communication systems for harsh environment of space

Abstract

This paper will focus on the trends for the space-based lasers, optics and terminals used in the intersatellite networks. Reviewed and evaluate the recent development in the space-based laser technologies and the critical parameters that are employed for successful high-speed inter-satellite communications systems. Building laser for high speed communications network for the harsh environment of space using optical links in space has proven to be complicated task and many such schemes were tried without success in the past. Space-based optical communications using satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) and Geo-synchronous orbits (GEO) hold great promise for the proposed Internet in the Sky network of the future. However in the last few years, there has been impressive progress made to bring the concept of laser-based intersatellite systems to fruition in civilian and government-non classified projects. Laser communications offer a viable alternative to established RF communications for inter-satellite links and other applications where high performance links are a necessity. High data rate, small antenna size, narrow beam divergence, and a narrow field of view are characteristics of laser-based systems and they are just few numbers of potential advantages for system design over radio frequency communication.