The role of optics in communication satellites

Author

Coello-Vera, A. ; Maignan, M.

Author_Institution

Alcatel Space, Toulouse, France

Volume

1

fYear

1998

fDate

1-4 Dec 1998

Firstpage

3

Abstract

Optical instruments have long been used in space in scientific and observation satellites. Telecommunication satellites on the other hand were and are the realm of RF/microwave techniques. But in 1981, a new era began when the first flight model satellite-to-satellite optical crosslink was ordered by the U.S. Government. Of course at that time, strategic reasons (no reliance on foreign ground stations, survivability, etc.) were probably as important as technical reasons

Keywords

artificial satellites; optical links; satellite links; telecommunication network reliability; U.S. Government; communication satellite optics; foreign ground stations; microwave techniques; observation satellites; optical instruments; satellite-to-satellite optical crosslink; scientific satellites; strategic reasons; survivability; technical reasons; telecommunication satellites; Artificial satellites; Masers; Optical fiber communication; Optical interconnections; Optical receivers; Optical sensors; Optical transmitters; Radio frequency; Space technology; Stimulated emission;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting, 1998. LEOS '98. IEEE

Conference_Location

Orlando, FL

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4947-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/LEOS.1998.737704

Filename

737704