Session
Weekday Session 7: Communications
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Satellites are generating more data than ever due to more demanding payloads, although communications Down To Earth (DTE) have not experienced the same growth in data rates. Compact Laser Communication Terminals are a promising technology that will increase bandwidths (10 Gbit+) and pave the way for larger data volumes to be transmitted which will increase the relevance of small and CubeSats in space data as service offerings. The in-orbit demonstrator is targeting a downlink data rate of 1 Gbit/s with a range of up to 1000km. A downlink wavelength of 1545nm is used while 1590nm is used for the ground station beacon. PRBS23 sequences will be transmitted from the in-orbit terminal to a ground station in the Netherlands. During in-orbit experimentation, attempts will be made to acquire payload data from other onboard payloads and to forward this data down to earth. This will provide valuable insight into possible future enhancements.
The goal is to use the lessons learned from the in-orbit demonstration and results to drive the development of future iterations of the terminal. Lessons learned during the development phase, market feedback and test results are already being used to shape the architecture and design of the system. The following learnings are anticipated: robust fast data storage does add value; higher down and upload speeds are required; throughput enhancement using adjustable data rates will be worth the investment and enhancing error correction allows for more efficient transfers.
Compact Laser Communication Terminal Architecture and In-Orbit Demonstration
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Satellites are generating more data than ever due to more demanding payloads, although communications Down To Earth (DTE) have not experienced the same growth in data rates. Compact Laser Communication Terminals are a promising technology that will increase bandwidths (10 Gbit+) and pave the way for larger data volumes to be transmitted which will increase the relevance of small and CubeSats in space data as service offerings. The in-orbit demonstrator is targeting a downlink data rate of 1 Gbit/s with a range of up to 1000km. A downlink wavelength of 1545nm is used while 1590nm is used for the ground station beacon. PRBS23 sequences will be transmitted from the in-orbit terminal to a ground station in the Netherlands. During in-orbit experimentation, attempts will be made to acquire payload data from other onboard payloads and to forward this data down to earth. This will provide valuable insight into possible future enhancements.
The goal is to use the lessons learned from the in-orbit demonstration and results to drive the development of future iterations of the terminal. Lessons learned during the development phase, market feedback and test results are already being used to shape the architecture and design of the system. The following learnings are anticipated: robust fast data storage does add value; higher down and upload speeds are required; throughput enhancement using adjustable data rates will be worth the investment and enhancing error correction allows for more efficient transfers.
