Coherent optical intersatellite crosslink systems

Key system and technology issues for heterodyne laser intersatellite communication systems are reviewed, including telescope/aperture, laser transmitter, and heterodyne receiver technology; spatial acquisition and tracking; optical/mechanical/thermal analysis design; and modulation/demodulation coding. It is concluded that heterodyne technology with semiconductor lasers has evolved to the point where it is now feasible to implement heterodyne systems for approximately 100 Mb/s with a single-laser transmitter of modest power (30 mW) and with small aperture (20 cm). It is suggested that technology advances, particularly in the areas of higher power laser sources, will extend system capabilities beyond 1 Gb/s in the future.<>