(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020-03-05)
Hall, Stephen
Free space optical (FSO) communications is an up
and coming set of technologies that promises significantly higher
data rates at lower size, weight, and power than currently
achievable by RF communications. FSO communications in
satellites has been a subject of research for decades. It is
strongly believed that FSO communications will be incorporated
in next generation communications relay satellites and that FSO
communications will enable new types of interplanetary missions
previously infeasible due to bandwidth or power restrictions. FSO
technologies are becoming mature enough to be fielded for use
and represent a complex trade space of new components and
technologies. This paper presents an overview of concepts in
satellite FSO communications including deep space communica tions, pointing, cloud coverage, modulation, and detection, and
discusses the current devices and technologies that enable FSO
communications.