Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2011 · 27 citations · 0 references
EngineeringAerospace EngineeringCommunicationOpticsOptoelectronicsPhotonicsCommunication LinksCommunications SubsystemsFree-space OpticsLaser OpticsOptical Communication SystemsSatellite Constellation ArchitectureBit Error RateBit-error Rate AnalysisCoherent CommunicationData Relay SystemsGround-to-satellite Optical LinksInter-satellite LinksInter-satellite Optical LinksOptical Communication Links
Since February 2008 coherent laser communication links are operational in-orbit. Transmitting data at a rate of 5.625 Gbps they verify the capability of laser communication exemplarily in LEO-LEO and Ground-LEO constellations. The LEO-LEO links run with a bit error rate of 10<sup>-11</sup>. Acquisition typically is closed within seconds. On the basis of these results laser communication terminals are adapted to LEO-GEO links with a still scalable user data rate of 1.8 Gbps. The terminals will be applied in the European data relay system.