System, Mechanical, and Thermal Design of a High Throughput Optical Communications Payload: A Case Study in GEO and Lunar Orbits

Abstract

The DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation is pushing the boundaries of space optical communications, and is designing a payload to serve as a precursor for possible Tbps communication speeds. The increasing performance of high power processing electronics, along with compactified optical components in the form of PICs, allow for next generation high throughput satellites to both lower system mass while increasing performance. However, these performance increases come with the cost of presenting a greater challenge for spacecraft thermal control. This thesis explores the design of a high throughput optical communications payload from a system, mechanical, and thermal perspective. Discussion is focused on detailed thermal analysis in both a GEO and Lunar environment, along with system trade-offs between modularity, thermal requirements, and system performance.