Mars Laser Communications Demonstration Research Articles

Gain-switched seed laser for Deep Space communication applications

Deep Space (DS) communication plays an important role in space exploration programs, especially in interplanetary flights projects. To resolve limitations of a well-known microwave link, an optical communication is considered. In the article a gain-switched seed laser for high power transmitter in a Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) architecture is presented. This optical signal source is able to generate picosecond pulses on demand and is suitable for high speed data link over a long range. The laser is dedicated to the pulse position modulation (PPM) scheme for low power consuming, high capacity and energy efficient optical communication. Full Text: PDF ReferencesH. Hemmati, Deep Space Optical Communications (Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2005), John Wiley & Sons, 2006. CrossRef T. Tolker-Nielsen and G. Oppenhauser, “In-Orbit Test Result of an Operational Intersatellite Link between ARTEMIS and SPOT 4,” FreeSpace Laser Communication Technologies XIV, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4639, pp. 1–15, San Jose, California, January 2002. CrossRef D. M. Boroson, et al., "Overview and results of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration", Proc SPIE 8971, 89710S (2014). CrossRef D. M. Boroson, A. Biswas, B. L. Edwards, "MLCD: overview of NASA's Mars laser communications demonstration system", P. Soc. Photo-Opt. Ins. 5338 (2004). CrossRef H. Hemmati, A. Biswas, I. B. Djordjevic, "Deep-Space Optical Communications: Future Perspectives and Applications", Proc. of the IEEE 99.11, (2011). CrossRef H. Kaushal, G. Kaddoum, "Optical Communication in Space: Challenges and Mitigation Techniques", IEEE Commun Surv Tut. 19.1, 57 (2017). CrossRef B. Moision, J. Hamkins, M. Cheng, "Deep-space optical communications downlink budget: modulation and coding", IPN Prog. Rep. 42.154, 1 (2005). DirectLink

Prospects for Improvement of Interplanetary Laser Communication Data Rates by 30 dB

NASA's Mars laser communications demonstration (MLCD) project (since discontinued) was designed to achieve data rates greater than 1 Mb/s from the farthest Mars range and greater than 30 Mb/s from the nearest Mars range. We present here pathways whereby ongoing optical technology advances should allow 30 dB of increased data rates relative to MLCD by 2020. In other words, technical advances should soon allow the return of deep-space data at rates of 1 Gb/s from the maximum Mars range, 100 Mb/s from Jupiter distances, and 10 Mb/s from Uranus, all many orders of magnitude greater than present radio-frequency capabilities. The potential for realizing the stated capability with less than a three times increase in dc power required from the spacecraft and no increase in payload mass is discussed.

Design of an Optical Photon Counting Array Receiver System for Deep-Space Communications

Demand for increased capacity in deep-space to Earth communications systems continues to rise as sensor data rates climb and mission requirements expand. Optical free-space laser communications systems offer the potential for operating at data rates 10 to 1000 times that of current radio-frequency systems. A key element in an optical communications system is the Earth receiver. This paper reviews the design of a distributed photon-counting receiver array composed of four meter-class telescopes, developed as a part of the mars laser communications demonstration (MLCD) project. This design offers a cost-effective and adaptable alternative approach to traditional large, single-aperture receive elements while preserving the expected improvement in data rates enabled by free-space laser communications systems. Key challenges in developing distributed receivers and details of the MLCD design are discussed.

Palomar Receive Terminal (PRT) for the Mars Laser Communication Demonstration (MLCD) Project

Significant technological advances were made toward utilizing the Hale telescope for receiving the faint laser communication signals transmitted from an optical transceiver on a spacecraft orbiting Mars. The so-called Palomar receive terminal design, which would have supported nominal downlink data rates of 1-30 Mbps, is described. Testing to validate technologies for near-Sun (3deg from edge of solar disc) daytime operations is also discussed. Finally, a laboratory end-to-end link utilizing a 64-ary pulse-position modulated photon-counting receiver and decoder that achieved predicted near-capacity (within 1.4 dB) performance is described.