Qualification and calibration of DLR's optical BiROS payload

Abstract

Direct optical communication links might offer a solution for the increasing demand of transmission capacity in satellite missions. Although direct space-to-ground links suffer from limited availability due to cloud coverage, the achievable data rates can be higher by orders of magnitude compared to traditional RF communication systems. DLR’s Institute of Communications and Navigation is currently developing an experimental communication payload for DLR’s BiROS satellite. The laser terminal consists of a tracking sensor with an uplink channel and two kinds of laser sources: a directly modulated High-Power Laser Diode (HPLD) and an Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA). This paper will give an overview about the hardware of the laser terminal with a special focus on the calibration of the optical system and the space-qualification, including a radiation test especially for the optical components. Further, the data reception and storage on ground station site will be discussed.