[Laser] NASA to Demonstrate Interplanetary Laser Communications Relay

[bernieS]

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/crosscutting_capability/tech_demo_missions.html

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission
Flight validation of optical communication to 
revolutionize communications for NASA’s missions

Led by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 
Greenbelt, MD, the Laser Communications Relay 
Demonstration (LCRD) will demonstrate and 
validate a reliable, capable, and cost effective 
optical communications technology for infusion 
into operational near earth and deep space 
systems. The Space Communications and Navigation 
(SCaN) office in the Human Exploration and 
Operations Mission Directorate is collaborating 
with the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist in 
sponsoring this technology demonstration.

Optical communications (also known as laser 
communication - lasercom) is a transformative 
technology that will enable NASA, other 
government agencies and the commercial space 
industry to undertake future, complex space 
missions requiring increased data rates, or 
decreased mass, size, and power burdens for 
communications. For approximately the same mass, 
power, and volume, an optical communications 
system provides significantly higher data rates 
than a comparable radio frequency (RF) system.

High-rate communications will revolutionize space 
science and exploration. Data rates 10-100 times 
more capable than current RF systems will allow 
greatly improved connectivity and enable a new 
generation of remote scientific investigations as 
well as provide the satellite communication’s 
industry with disruptive technology not available 
today. Space laser communications will enable 
missions to use bandwidth-hungry instruments, 
such as hyperspectral imagers, synthetic aperture 
radar (SAR), and other instruments with high 
definition in spectral, spatial, or temporal 
modes. Laser communication will also make it 
possible to establish a “virtual presence” at a 
remote planet or other solar system body, 
enabling the high-rate communications required by future explorers.

As an example, at the current limit of 6 Mbps for 
the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), it takes 
approximately 90 minutes to transmit a single 
HiRISE high resolution image back to earth. In 
some instances, this bottleneck can limit science 
return. An equivalent MRO mission outfitted with 
an optical communications transmitter would have 
a capacity to transmit data back to earth at 100 
Mbps or more, reducing the single image 
transmission time to on order of 5 minutes.

Artist rendering of an optical communication system.
  <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/581460main_optical_communication1_1576x1127.jpg>› 
Link to larger photo

Artist rendering of an optical communication system.
  <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/581464main_optical_communication2_900x712.jpg>› 
Link to larger photo The LCRD mission will:
    * Enable reliable, capable, and cost 
effective optical communications technologies for 
near earth applications and provide the next 
steps required toward optical communications for deep space missions
    * Demonstrate high data rate optical 
communications technology necessary for:
        * Near-Earth spacecraft (bi-directional 
links supporting hundreds of Mbps to Gbps)
        * Deep Space missions (tens to hundreds 
of Mbps from distances such as Mars and Jupiter)
    * Develop, validate and characterize 
operational models for practical optical communications
    * Identify and develop requirements and 
standards for future operational optical communication systems
    * Establish a strong partnership with 
multiple government agencies to facilitate 
crosscutting infusion of optical communications technologies
    * Develop the industrial base and transfer 
technology for future space optical communications systems