Clarity - Climatic Laser Analysis Research for Turbulent Yields
Faculty Mentor Name
Davide Conte
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Advancements in high-speed data transmission, particularly for ground-space communication, have been made possible by developments in laser communication (LC) systems. Yet, sustaining the integrity of laser signals is severely impeded by atmospheric factors like temperature gradients, humidity fluctuations, and wind turbulence. In the past, these conditions have posed a constant challenge resulting in beam wandering, phase distortion, and signal degradation in systems such as NASA’s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD). Since these effects have been under- investigated, a comprehensive strategy that concurrently addresses all significant atmospheric factors can mitigate these drawbacks. The goal of CLARITY involves the development of a robust LC system that can effectively account for the detrimental effects of climatic inconsistencies on signal quality to ensure dependable data transmission between ground stations and space- based platforms. The team has currently configured a laser communication model that will be testing a visible, green laser in various environmental scenarios including a baseline vacuum chamber, snow, humidity, and high heat tests. Once the necessary data has been acquired, the CLARITY team will extrapolate the data to further observe the environmental impact on laser integrity in deep space missions. As of now, the team has a working LC system and is ready to begin testing.
Clarity - Climatic Laser Analysis Research for Turbulent Yields
Advancements in high-speed data transmission, particularly for ground-space communication, have been made possible by developments in laser communication (LC) systems. Yet, sustaining the integrity of laser signals is severely impeded by atmospheric factors like temperature gradients, humidity fluctuations, and wind turbulence. In the past, these conditions have posed a constant challenge resulting in beam wandering, phase distortion, and signal degradation in systems such as NASA’s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD). Since these effects have been under- investigated, a comprehensive strategy that concurrently addresses all significant atmospheric factors can mitigate these drawbacks. The goal of CLARITY involves the development of a robust LC system that can effectively account for the detrimental effects of climatic inconsistencies on signal quality to ensure dependable data transmission between ground stations and space- based platforms. The team has currently configured a laser communication model that will be testing a visible, green laser in various environmental scenarios including a baseline vacuum chamber, snow, humidity, and high heat tests. Once the necessary data has been acquired, the CLARITY team will extrapolate the data to further observe the environmental impact on laser integrity in deep space missions. As of now, the team has a working LC system and is ready to begin testing.