Optical Links Capacity for LEO Satellites Over European Ground Networks

Abstract

Free-space optical communications offer the technology breakthrough required by future Earth Exploration Satellites for their High Rate Payload Telemetry, while they required clear sky propagation conditions leading to locate receiving optical ground stations on favorable sites in terms of atmospheric propagation and to use site diversity to reach classical system availability requirements. This paper presents a methodology that can be used to optimize such a network relying on experimental meteorological satellite data. It also presents quantitative results in terms of link availability over a European ground network and the associated downlink capacity considering possible future Low Earth Orbit satellites.