In-orbit verification of small optical transponder (SOTA): evaluation of satellite-to-ground laser communication links

Hideki Takenaka; Yoshisada Koyama; Maki Akioka; Dimitar Kolev; Naohiko Iwakiri; Hiroo Kunimori; Alberto Carrasco-Casado; Yasushi Munemasa; Eiji Okamoto; Morio Toyoshima

doi:10.1117/12.2214461

15 March 2016 In-orbit verification of small optical transponder (SOTA): evaluation of satellite-to-ground laser communication links

Hideki Takenaka, Yoshisada Koyama, Maki Akioka, Dimitar Kolev, Naohiko Iwakiri, Hiroo Kunimori, Alberto Carrasco-Casado, Yasushi Munemasa, Eiji Okamoto, Morio Toyoshima

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9739, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXVIII; 973903 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2214461
Event: SPIE LASE, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

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.

Citation Download Citation

Hideki Takenaka, Yoshisada Koyama, Maki Akioka, Dimitar Kolev, Naohiko Iwakiri, Hiroo Kunimori, Alberto Carrasco-Casado, Yasushi Munemasa, Eiji Okamoto, and Morio Toyoshima "In-orbit verification of small optical transponder (SOTA): evaluation of satellite-to-ground laser communication links", Proc. SPIE 9739, Free-Space Laser Communication and Atmospheric Propagation XXVIII, 973903 (15 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2214461

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