Theoretical model for a cloudy-channel laser communications experiment

Author

Shay, T.M. ; Enoch, M. ; Ewart, R.

Author_Institution

Center for High Technol. Mater., New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM, USA

Volume

1

fYear

2002

fDate

7-10 Oct. 2002

Firstpage

213

Abstract

The authors presents a simplified system model for an experiment to collect the optical channel characterization data for high data rate ground to low-Earth-orbit optical communications system through clouds. The experiment consists of a 1550-nm ground-to-space shuttle uplink and a round-trip link where the signal photons are transmitted up to the space shuttle and back down to the ground. The system is designed to operate with thin to intermediate thickness clouds in the communications channel. The results of calculated link margins and system requirements are presented.

Keywords

atmospheric light propagation; clouds; optical links; space communication links; 1550 nm; 2.5 Gbit/s; LEO; cloud thickness; cloudy-channel laser communications experiment; communications channel; free-space optical channel; ground-to-space shuttle uplink; high data rate; link margins; low-Earth-orbit optical communications system; optical channel characterization data collection; optical communications system; round-trip link; signal photons; system model; system requirements; Clouds; High speed optical techniques; Laser modes; Laser theory; Optical attenuators; Optical fiber communication; Optical receivers; Optical scattering; Optical transmitters; Radio frequency;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

MILCOM 2002. Proceedings

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7625-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MILCOM.2002.1180442

Filename

1180442