Abstract
Free space laser communications provides wide bandwidth and high security capabilities to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in order to successfully accomplish Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. A practical implementation of a laser-based video communications payload flown by a small UAS aircraft is described as a proof-of-concept. The two-axis gimbal pointing control algorithm calculates the line-of-sight vector in real-time by using differential GPS and IMU information gathered from the UAS vehicle's autopilot so that the laser transmitter in the airborne payload can accurately track a ground-based photodiode array receiver with a known GPS location. One of the future goals of the project is to move from UAS-to-ground communications to UAS-to-UAS free space laser communications.
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