Transmitter Beam Bias Verification for Optical Satellite Data Downlinks with Open-Loop Pointing – the 3-OGS-Experiment

Abstract

Optical free-space data downlinks from LEO satellites benefit considerably from reduced effort on the space segment, when a dedicated pointing mechanism and active tracking of a ground beacon can be avoided. Instead, the attitude of the satellite is dynamically determined from its star cameras and other sensors. Initial calibration for this technique requires recording of the spatial and temporal beam distribution on the Earth’s surface. We describe the measurement of the beam intensity on ground by the power detectors of three ground stations in parallel, exemplarily for one specific downlink. From this data we derive the instantaneous center of gravity of the beam spot, and its dynamic movement during the downlink. By comparison with the satellite’s own recorded attitude data and its error, the dynamic offset to be corrected on the satellite can be calculated, resulting in optimized pointing-control for future operational open-loop downlinks.