Tests of Multibeam Scintillation Mitigation on Laser Uplinks

Wilson, Keith

A report presents additional details about parts of the program of research and development that is the topic of the immediately preceding article. The report emphasizes those aspects of the program that pertain to the use of multiple uplink laser beams in a ground-to-spacecraft optical communication system to reduce (relative to the case of a single uplink laser beam) the depth and frequency of occurrence of fades in the uplink signal received at the spacecraft. The underlying multibeam scintillation-mitigation concept was described in "Multiple-Beam Transmission for Optical Communication" (NPO-20384), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 11 (November 1998), page 56. The report discusses the need for mitigating uplink scintillation; briefly describes the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory and its role as the ground station in the research; summarizes prior experiments in uplink scintillation and multibeam mitigation of scintillation in ground-to-spacecraft laser communications; and describes key experiments planned to be performed in the next five years. The report then elaborates somewhat on the initial experiments, which are to be dedicated to understanding and perfecting the multibeam scintillation-mitigation strategy.

Document ID

20110020364

Acquisition Source

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Document Type

Other - NASA Tech Brief

External Source(s)

http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/363?task=view

Authors

Date Acquired

August 25, 2013

Publication Date

November 1, 2004

Publication Information

Publication: NASA Tech Briefs, November 2004

Subject Category

Report/Patent Number

Distribution Limits

Public

Public Use Permitted.

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20110020364.pdf

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NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

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