10.6 Micron Laser Communication Experiment for ATS-F and ATS-G

Abstract

A laser communication system weighing 30 pounds and consuming 30 watts is to be flown on the ATS-F satellite for a space-to-ground experiment. An identical system proposed to be flown on ATS-G will complete an experimental intersatellite communication link. A 6-inch aperture optical antenna with a 92 dB antenna gain and a 500 mw carrier provide a minimum 23dB carrier-to-noise ratio for a 5 MHz bandwidth system. This experiment will permit analysis of laser Communication system parameters as a base line for future operational system designs, such as could be employed on a Data Relay Satellite. In addition to the NASA ground station, a station prepared by Bell Telephone Laboratories will perform atmospheric propagation experiments on the beam received from the satellite.