Skip to main content

Calendar    |     Member Portal     |       Jobs Board     |     Classes     |     Site Index     |     Contact Us   

OSSC Home

Increasing the Knowledge of Optics


HomeControl PanelEvents Manager Laser Comm Terminal Dr. Aaron Freeman

Events - Event View

This is the "Event Detail" view, showing all available information for this event. If the event has passed, click the "Event Report" icon to read a report and view photos that were uploaded.
Laser Comm Terminal Dr. Aaron Freeman

Date

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Location

On-Line Webinar
CA  
USA

Event Contact(s)

Russell Rauch


John Nunn

Category

OSSC Regular Meeting

Registration Info

Registration is required
Cancellation Policy:
Please let the Arrangements Chair (Events@ossc.org) know as soon as possible if you need to cancel.

Payments made in advance will normally be issued a credit that may be applied to future payments (membership or events). Please contact the Treasurer (Treasurer@ossc.org) if this posses a problem.

If you are a member, please log in to access additional, potentially lower registration fee options.

About this event

OSSC Webinar Jan 13, 2021 6:30 pm
MicroSat Laser Communication Terminals & IR Imaging Space-Based Payloads”


Dr. Aaron Freeman, Optical Engineering Manager,

General Atomics EMS, San Diego, CA


May be limited to 150 people
Please register by Jan 11
No fee for this on-line webinar
Log-in details will be emailed just before meeting





Dr. Aaron Freeman

Low Orbit Communication

GA Laser Comm Terminal


Abstract

The electromagnetic spectrum is crowded and the data rates are low compared to Free Space Optical systems (FSO). System designers are turning to FSO to overcome the RF limitations.  General Atomics Electromagnetics (GA-EMS) has developed a free space optical laser communication terminal (LCT) for space applications.  The system operates at 1550 nm and utilizes on-off keying to support a data rate of up to 5 Gbps.

 

 The system architecture is expandable regarding total output power and can support links from various orbits up to and including GEO-GEO as predicted from the amplifier testing and link budget analysis.  The optical amplifier is based off of a TRL9 system originally used by GA-EMS for airborne applications, redesigned for space applications. The system architecture can support multiple modulation schemes These will be described.

 

The LCT uses a novel acquisition scheme which is introduced here that enables rapid acquisition for systems even when the bus level pointing accuracy is in excess of 350urad. This LCT architecture can be used on multiple missions without necessitating extensive redesign and qualification.  GA-EMS is launching two of these terminals in cubesats in December 2020 to host an on-orbit demonstration of crosslinks between the two terminals and downlinks to a ground station.

About Our Speaker:

Dr. Freeman is the Optical Engineering Manager at General Atomics in San Diego. He has been at GA-EMS for 8 years and serves as a chief engineer for laser communication satellite efforts at General Atomics (GA).  Prior to working on the lasercom payloads, he served as a chief engineer for high energy laser (HEL) programs as well as active and passive imaging systems at General Atomics (GA).  He is responsible for the design, analysis, integration and field testing of optical systems for ground, airborne, and space applications.  Prior to joining GA, Dr. Freeman was an opto-mechanical engineer at Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems where he supported multispectral and hyperspectral imaging systems for space-based and airborne platforms.  Dr. Freeman received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 2009 from the University of California, Irvine.  His dissertation focused on reduction of turbulence induced aero-optical aberrations through non-invasive flow control.

 


Download Flyer


Activities/Items (Click the down-arrow to view details)
Technical Presentation
Donate to the OSSC (Suggested Donation)

Box 228, 2312 Park Avenue

Tustin, California 92782



The Optical Society of Southern California is a non-profit 501(C)3 tax exempt corporation.

We do not endorse candidates for public office or contribute to political candidates or campaigns.