Abstract
Photon-counting detectors are required for numerous NASA future space-based applications including science instruments and free-space optical communication terminals. We discuss the baseline and alternative photon counting detectors that are under evaluation for deployment on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat2) Advance Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS). Future NASA science instruments and free space laser communication terminal receiver performance can be improved by using single-photon-sensitive detectors. Photomultipliers and avalanche photodiodes are the primary candidates. Single-photon-sensitive detectors provide efficient receivers that minimize the required space-based resources (size, weight, power and cost).
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