In National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) of JAPAN, an ultra high speed optical satellite communication equipment onboard the engineering test satellite IX has been developing. The satellite is planned to be launched to geosynchronous orbit in 2021. In this project, we are aiming for ultra high-speed data transmission at the world's highest level of 10 [Gbps] for both uplink and downlink between optical ground stations and geosynchronous satellite. This paper outlines the optical communication mission, the scheduled optical communication experiment, the examination of HICALI and the ground based system at the present time - the outline of the development situation is also explained.
In recent years, the necessity of satellite-to-ground optical communication has increased as a method for realizing higher-speed communications between satellites and the ground. However, one disadvantage of free-space optical (FSO) communication is the significant influence of the atmosphere. FSO communications cannot be utilized under certain atmospheric conditions, such as cloudy skies. One of the solutions to this problem is site diversity, which makes it possible to select a given ground station with better atmospheric conditions among a number of fixed ground stations. The other solution is to prepare a ground station that can be moved to a place with better atmospheric conditions. In this paper, we present the development of a transportable optical ground station currently being researched in NICT.
In order to be transportable, it is necessary to build a system capable of travelling on public roads, installable in every place, and ready to be loaded on relatively-light trucks. For this purpose, a realistic telescope diameter is about 30 cm at the maximum, capable of being set up quickly, and with a pointing accuracy of about 100 μrad. In addition, it is necessary to prepare a fine-pointing optical system that performs tracking with about 1/10 of the pointing accuracy of the telescope. In this research, we will develop the base of the transportable optical ground station using the knowledge of mobile astronomical telescopes. With respect to tracking, we will develop a smaller and lighter fine-tracking system based on NICT’s previous experience. If necessary, we plan to develop an adaptive-optics system for correcting atmospheric disturbances to improve the fiber-coupling efficiency of the communication laser beam.
Recently, satellite broadband communication services using Ka-band are emerging all over the world, some of them with capacities in excess of 100 Gbps. However, as the radio bandwidth resources become exhausted, high-speed optical communication can be used instead to achieve ultra-broadband communications. The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has more than 20 years of experience in R&D of space laser communications, with important milestones like ETS-VI (Engineering Test Satellite VI), OICETS, and SOTA. We are currently developing a laser-communication terminal called “HICALI”, which goal is to achieve 10 Gbps-class space communications in the 1.5-μm band between Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) and a next generation high-throughput satellite (called ETS-IX) with a hybrid communication system using radio and optical frequencies, which will be launched into a geostationary orbit in 2021. The development of test and a breadboard model for HICALI has been conducted for several years and we are now carrying out an engineering model as well as designing the OGSs segment. In this paper, we describe concepts and current design status of the HICALI system.
In recent years, the performance of observation equipment mounted on satellites has improved to such levels that it can obtain significant amount of data from a single observation [1]. Radio waves are used as a method for transmitting large volumes of data acquired by satellites to the ground. However, currently operational radio frequencies make it difficult to improve the communication speed, owing to interference problems and the carrier frequency. Space optical communication is expected to be a solution to this problem.
Recently, the sensors ability of remote sensing satellites are offering much better resolution, higher quality, etc. [1] The gathered data size by the satellite has become larger. However, generally, downlink transfer capacity from the satellite to a ground station using RF (Radio Frequency) communication is limited, due to the internal balance of resources (power consumption, size capacity, mass, placement, etc.) in the satellite, and allocation of bandwidth by frequency regulation arrangement.
Research and development of space optical communications is conducted in the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). The NICT developed the Small Optical TrAnsponder (SOTA), which was embarked on a 50kg-class satellite and launched into a low earth orbit (LEO). The space-to-ground laser communication experiments have been conducted with the SOTA. Atmospheric turbulence causes signal fadings and becomes an issue to be solved in satellite-to-ground laser communication links. Therefore, as error-correcting functions, a Reed-Solomon (RS) code and a Low-Density Generator Matrix (LDGM) code are implemented in the communication system onboard the SOTA. In this paper, we present the in-orbit verification results of SOTA including the characteristic of the functions, the communication performance with the LDGM code via satellite-to-ground atmospheric paths, and the link budget analysis and the comparison between theoretical and experimental results.
KEYWORDS: Optical communications, Free space optical communications, Optical networks, Data communications, Satellites, Free space optics, Satellite communications, Telecommunications, Data centers, Control systems
A terrestrial free-space optical communications network facility, named IN-orbit and Networked Optical ground stations
experimental Verification Advanced testbed (INNOVA) is introduced. Many demonstrations have been conducted to
verify the usability of sophisticated optical communications equipment in orbit. However, the influence of terrestrial
weather conditions remains as an issue to be solved. One potential solution is site diversity, where several ground
stations are used. In such systems, implementing direct high-speed optical communications links for transmission of data
from satellites to terrestrial sites requires that links can be established even in the presence of clouds and rain. NICT is
developing a terrestrial free-space optical communications network called INNOVA for future airborne and satellitebased
optical communications projects. Several ground stations and environmental monitoring stations around Japan are
being used to explore the site diversity concept. This paper describes the terrestrial free-space optical communications
network facility, the monitoring stations around Japan for free-space laser communications, and potential research at
NICT.
Current development status of the small optical transponder (SOTA) to be installed into a small satellite is described,
where the breadboard model, the engineering model and the protoflight model are respectively introduced. The tracking
performance is estimated to show that the angular error is low enough in comparison to the divergence angle of the
transmitted beam.
T. Ido, M. Fujieda, H. Hachisu, K. Hayasaka, M. Kajita, R. Kojima, M. Kumagai, C. Locke, Y. Li, K. Matsubara, A. Nogami, N. Shiga, A. Yamaguchi, Y. Koyama, M. Hosokawa, Y. Hanado
KEYWORDS: Clocks, Chemical species, Ions, Standards development, Cesium, Calcium, Laser stabilization, Microwave radiation, Oscillators, Communication and information technologies
Various activities of atomic frequency standards studied in National Institute of Information and Communications
Technology (NICT) are briefly reviewed. After BIPM accepted the first cesium fountain clock in NICT as a reference to
determine International Atomic Time (TAI), efforts to further reduce the uncertainty of collision shifts are ongoing. A
second fountain clock using atomic molasses is being built to enable the operation with less atomic density. Single ion
clock using calcium has been pursued for several years in NICT. The absolute frequency measured in 2008 has CIPM to
adopt the Ca+ clock transition as a part of the list of radiation (LoR) to realize the meter. Sr lattice clock has started its
operation last year. The absolute frequency agreed well with those obtained in other institutes. Study of stable cavities to
stabilize clock lasers are also introduced.
KEYWORDS: Satellites, Laser communications, Satellite communications, Aerospace engineering, Communication and information technologies, Communication engineering, Data communications, Atmospheric optics, Sensors, Meteorological satellites
The restarted OICETS-ground laser communications experiments are introduced. The events are sequentially
summarized from the launch of OICETS to the end-of-life, where the reopened experiments started from October 2008.
In the period, the satellite-ground laser communications campaign with the four optical ground stations of DLR, ESA,
JPL and NICT are conducted from April 2009 to September 2009. The open pointing characteristics of OICETS
measured in those trials show that the performance remains almost the same as before in 2006. The average rate of the
link establishments through the whole period is about 0.6 due to the weather conditions. The viewable periods of
OICETS from the four ground stations are analyzed as an example. The result indicates that the satellite could be
accessible once an hour from at least one of the four ground stations, which implies a possibility of a LEO satellite-ground
quasi-continuous connection.
Next-Generation LEO System (NeLS) Research Center is now conducting continuous effort to demonstrate feasibility of key technologies for optical inter-satellite links in space. Evaluation of critical components for the NeLS optical terminal, such as Wide-range FPM, RX-collimator combined with a fine tracking sensor and devices for optical receiver, were carried out using trial models. In this paper, performance evaluation results are presented including mechanical environmental test and radiation test.
This paper presents outline of the optical terminal for Next-generation LEO System (NeLS) in-orbit demonstration, which will be conducted as part of Phase 2 of NeLS project. Two small satellites are assumed to launch into GTO orbit changing distance between them from 500km to 3000km. Acquisition and tracking experiments with a star or planet and 2.4Gbps data transmission between two SmartSat is also planned. The design of optical terminal is briefly presented.
NeLS project is a Japanese effort aiming to develop key technologies for global multimedia mobile satellite communications service. In the NeLS System, all satellites are connected to four neighboring satellites by using optical inter-satellite link (ISL) considering four-wave WDM technology. Optical ISL requires very high optical output power. And to meet such requirements, a high power optical amplifier such as EDFA will be used. In such case, nonlinear effects of an EDFA will casue degradation of communication performance of OISL. We develoepd an OISL-WDM Simulator to eavluate such degradation experimentally. A Yb co-doped EDFA is used as OHPA. In the experiment, BER characteristics were measured and found that degradation is 0.4dB up to 2W output and 0.9dB at 4.5W output. From these results we concluded this technology could be applicable to WDM optical intersatellite link applications.
Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite (OICETS) is under development by NASDA to verify the laser communications technology in space. The in-orbit experiment will be done by establishing inter-orbit communication between the OICETS and European geostationary satellite ARTEMIS in cooperation with ESA. These satellites will be launched in to the orbit in 2000. Laser communications system in space is a promising technology for future space activities, but it has many research matters. Acquisition tracking and pointing system of a laser terminal performs a prominent role to keep the laser communication. This paper describes the ATP system strategy of the laser terminal.
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