{"title":"Exploration of a free-space optical communications system for sounding rocket sub-payloads","authors":"J. Gealy, M. Lessard, P. Riley","doi":"10.1109/ICSOS.2011.5783686","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The results of an exploration regarding the novel use of free-space optics (FSO) between sounding rockets and their sub-payloads are presented. This includes an evaluation of optoelectronic and optical devices against environmental and system level criteria. A preliminary test using available in-house components and bench-top equipment was also performed to determine potential distances and data rates of FSO in this environment. Using a light emitting diode with an optical power output of approximately six milliwatts, and a photomultiplier tube originally purposed for use on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, a pulse rate of ten kilohertz was transmitted over a distance of four-hundred meters in-atmosphere. Transmission distance was increased to five-hundred meters using an optical bandpass filter, and nine-hundred meters using a baffle. It is expected that even greater distances and data rates can be achieved in the final design by using more transmitters, each with greater optical power output.","PeriodicalId":107082,"journal":{"name":"2011 International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2011-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"2011 International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSOS.2011.5783686","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The results of an exploration regarding the novel use of free-space optics (FSO) between sounding rockets and their sub-payloads are presented. This includes an evaluation of optoelectronic and optical devices against environmental and system level criteria. A preliminary test using available in-house components and bench-top equipment was also performed to determine potential distances and data rates of FSO in this environment. Using a light emitting diode with an optical power output of approximately six milliwatts, and a photomultiplier tube originally purposed for use on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, a pulse rate of ten kilohertz was transmitted over a distance of four-hundred meters in-atmosphere. Transmission distance was increased to five-hundred meters using an optical bandpass filter, and nine-hundred meters using a baffle. It is expected that even greater distances and data rates can be achieved in the final design by using more transmitters, each with greater optical power output.