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5.6 Gbps optical intersatellite communication link

Article  in  Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering · February 2009
DOI: 10.1117/12.812209

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 5.6 Gbps optical intersatellite communication link
Berry Smutnya, Hartmut Kaempfnera, Gerd Muehlnikela, Uwe Sterra, Bernhard Wandernotha,
Frank Heinea, Ulrich Hildebranda, Daniel Dallmanna, Martin Reinhardta,
Axel Freiera, Robert Langea, Knut Boehmera, Thomas Feldhausa,
Juergen Muellera, Andreas Weicherta, Peter Greulicha, Stefan Seela,
Rolf Meyerb,
Reinhard Czichyc
a
Tesat-Spacecom, 71522 Backnang, Germany;
b
DLR, 53227 Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany;
c
Synopta, 9034 Eggersried, Switzerland

ABSTRACT

A 5.6 Gbps optical communication link has been verified in-orbit. The intersatellite link uses homodyne BPSK (binary
phase shift keying) and allows to transmit data with a duplex data rate of 5.6 Gbps and a bit error rate better than 10-9
between two LEO satellites, NFIRE (U.S.) and TerraSAR-X (Germany). We report on the terminal design and the link
performance during the measurement campaign. As an outlook we report on the flight units adapted to LEO-to-GEO
intersatellite links that TESAT currently builds and on plans to study GEO-to-ground links.
Keywords: LCT, optical communication, laser, homodyne BPSK, optical intersatellite links, TerraSAR-X, NFIRE

1. INTRODUCTION
Compared to conventional RF communication systems laser communication terminals (LCT) offer the advantage of
higher data rate and larger link distance at lower size, weight and power. The major factor is the four orders of
magnitude shorter carrier wavelength translating into higher antenna gain. As additional benefits laser communication
links are free of interference problems, they provide safe transmission and the user is not limited by ITU regulations. Of
the available optical technologies homodyne BPSK (binary phase shift keying) is superior due to the merits of:
• spatial filtering by the homodyne detection cone (the narrowest possible for a given aperture)
• frequency filtering by phase locking loop (far more selective than available optical coatings)
• leveraging the signal amplitude (superposition with the orders of magnitude larger local oscillator amplitude)

As a result homodyne BPSK very effectively discards unwanted noise power and even allows to maintain a
communication link if the Sun is within the receivers field-of-view. Commercial programs like CELESTRI and
TELEDESIC prerequisited immunity against Sun and selected therefore this technology and TESAT as supplier for laser
communication terminals.
TESATs LCTs for intersatellite links are the result of more than two decades of development expertise in the field of
free-space optical communications in combination with a broad heritage of commercial space equipment production.
Tesat was responsible for the communication subsystem of the SILEX optical communication terminal which is
successfully operating in orbit since 2001. TESAT verified in 2005 homodyne BPSK as a robust ground communication
modulation scheme by a 142 km free-space measurement campaign between two Canary Islands [1]. Satellite based
beacon-less acquisition and the hand-over to coherent tracking of laser communication terminals was verified in
2007 [2]. For in orbit verification of duplex 5.6 Gbps communication two TESAT LCTs based on homodyne BPSK have
been accommodated on LEO satellites. One LCT is on board the German satellite TerraSAR-X and the other on board
the U.S. satellite NFIRE.
 2. LASER COMMUNICATION TERMINAL
The purpose of the LCT is to operate a duplex communication link for binary digital data between two satellite S/Cs via
a single optical carrier. The carrier wavelength is 1.064 μm. A common optical I/F to space is used for transmit and
receive.
As shown in the figure below (Fig. 1) the coherent laser communication terminal is a one-unit design. Interfaces to the
satellite are limited to standard electrical harness and mechanical / thermal interfaces. Without an optical S/C interface
harness the accommodation and test of the LCT on a satellite has been demonstrated to take shorter than a week.
The one-unit design consists of a central rectangular base structure, a coarse pointer (gimbal) mounted on space side and
the optics unit reaching through this structure on the S/C side. The frame unit structure houses the entire laser
communication terminals electronics and active optics. The optics unit comprises the receive/transmit optics, fine
steering mechanisms and the receiver. The coarse pointer is designed for hemispherical tracking of the counter terminal.
In park position (shown in Fig. 1) the optics are protected during non-operational modes against contamination and a
launch lock secures the coarse pointer during launch.

Fig. 1. LCT drawing highlighting major functional elements (left side)

Key parameters of the LCTs accommodated on the TerraSAR-X and NFIRE satellites and now verified on orbit are:
• optical transmit power 0.7 W
• telescope diameter 124 mm
• data rate 5.625 Gbps (chosen to fit TerraSAR-X data interface)
All I/Fs are optimized for easy integration of LCT to S/C. Mechanical alignment of LCT on S/C level is not necessary.
On S/C level the LCT alignment cube is to be measured and this known misalignment then compensated in orbit by
propagator processing software. Four quasi isostatic feet serve as mechanical I/F and compensate any
thermomechanically induced stresses between LCT and S/C. The feet are thermally isolating and their stiffness is
sufficiently high to cope with launch loads.
The LCT is isolated via MLI against ambient or space environment (shown in Fig. 1). LCT internal heatpipes transport
the dissipated power via a flexible thermal I/F to a S/C radiator.
As electrical I/Fs are foreseen:
• Transmit Data / Receive Data
• Main Bus
• TM/TC, Discrete + Analog + MIL 1533B Data
• Launch Lock Release
• Heater and Thermal Sensors

Spatial acquisition is performed using the collimated communication beam instead of an additional highly divergent
beacon laser. The beacon-less acquisition procedure is shown in Fig. 2.
Both LCTs need to know the direction of their counter LCT with S/C AOCS typical accuracy (2,500 µrad), the so-called
uncertainty cone. After initial pointing the acquisition sequence is initiated.
Coarse Acquisition phase 1 starts in a master-slave mode. The master LCT-a scans and hits the counter (slave) LCT-b
(at least) once per scan spiral. While LCT-a continues scan spiraling, the counter LCT-b iteratively adjusts itself to the
wave front of LCT-a beam flashes ending up with a remaining small angular deviation.
In Coarse Acquisition phase 2 the roles are switched. Now LCT-a passively adjusts itself to the wavefront of LCT-b scan
spiral flashes. Since LCT-b is already quite well aligned from Phase 1, the scans and alignment of LCT-a can be
performed quickly.
During the subsequent Fine Acquisition phase both LCTs scan while also adjusting themselves further in parallel. The
scan spirals and the remaining misalignments are progressively reduced until coherent tracking locks in.

Fig. 2. Sequence of beacon-less acquisition modes according to a master(M/a)-slave(S/b) approach

 3. IN-ORBIT VERIFICATION
Fig. 3 shows the LCT accommodated on the TerraSAR-X satellite. On the right hand the LCT is shown with its frame
unit structure and the coarse pointer moved out of the park position. The corresponding LCT on NFIRE is also mounted
in a way to allow both intersatellite links and satellite-to-ground links.

Fig. 3. LCTSX LCT flight unit:

Left hand picture: Ready to go on TerraSAR-X. Right hand picture: During integration test on TerraSAR-X.

Since February 2008 the two TESAT LCTs on TerraSAR-X and NFIRE perform optical intersatellite links within an
extended test campaign. The LCTs algorithm parameters for pointing, acquisition and tracking can be modified in
between link runs allowing the on orbit system to perform a learning curve. Initially unknown biases from launch
settlement or geometrical limits to ground triangulation resolution can now be calibrated using the precise angle
measurements over several thousand kilometers. As a consequence full data communication is now routinely achieved
within less than 20 s, while the initial acuqisitions described below took 40 s to 50 s.
The heritage gained here allows TESAT to choose the right set of parameters for reliably and efficiently operating the
LCT link in scenarios ranging from a fully optimized standard service situation to the initial commissioning. A
description of the link parameters leading to TESATs first two intersatellite links is detailed later in this section.
Experience with exploiting the acquisition optimization potential is an important requirement for developing realistic
link analyses together with civil and military customers. The progress and results demonstrated in 2008 have for
example recently convinced ESA to select TESAT LCTs as the baseline for GMES / Copernicus satellites and the
planned GEO-stationary EDRS (European Data Relay Satellite) system. The benefit for ESAs Earth observation
satellites will be on demand and broadband connectivity via GEO relay without the need to have an X-band or Ka-band
ground station directly underneath.
The first intersatellite link was performed above the Pacific Ocean and Central America (see Fig. 4). The link distance
varied between 3,700 km and 4,700 km, with a maximum range rate of 8,500 m/s (shown in Fig. 5). Spatial acquisition
started with uncertainty cones of 530 µrad and 1,000 µrad, respectively, and was completed after 13 s (phase 1 in 10 s,
phase 2 in 3 s). After that it took 28 s to phase lock the two laser systems for homodyne BPSK. Communication and data
transfer with a bit error rate better than 10-9 lasted for 134 s until the counter LCT was no longer visible. The link
trajectory started out with about 200 km minimum height above Earth (Fig. 6) and was kept stable until about 30 km,
meaning a large part of the link trajectory ran through rather dense atmosphere at this point.

Fig. 4. Localization of the first two optical intersatellite links between TerraSAR-X and NFIRE in February 2008

Fig. 5. Distance/Range and rates of change for the first two optical intersatellite links
 Fig. 6. Link trajectory minimum beam height above Earth for the first two optical intersatellite links

The second intersatellite link was established near the South Pole (Fig. 4). The link distance in this case varied between
3,700 km and 4,875 km with a maximum range rate of 7,200 m/s (Fig. 5). The counter LCT was visible for 190 s. Spatial
acquisition started after 10 s with uncertainty cones of 745 μrad and 1,000 μrad, respectively, and was completed after
23 s (phase 1 in 20 s, phase 2 in 3 s). The two laser systems were phase locked within 29 s for homodyne BPSK
detection. Communication and date transfer with a bit error rate better than 10 -9 lasted for 128 s until the counter LCT
was no longer visible. The link trajectory for this second link cut even deeper into the atmosphere with a minimum
height below 20 km (Fig. 6). The azimuth and elevation time traces of the TerraSAR-X LCT gimbal for both links are
shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7. Link trajectory movement of the CPA gimbal on TerraSAR-X for the first two optical intersatellite links
 4. OUTLOOK ON NEXT STEPS OF LASER COMMUNICATION

With a data rate of 5.6 Gbps the laser communication links reported here have been a milestone in the introduction of
laser communication terminals to the space market. For the first time the major advantage of laser communication
terminals compared to RF payloads - data rates larger than 1 Gbps - has been demonstrated on orbit. In terms of short-
term service realization the most imminent market applications are relay services (LEO-to-GEO-to-ground) to make the
large data amount of LEO Earth observation satellites immediately available. DLR plans to utilize the laser
communication capabilities for the TanDEM-X mission and took TESAT under contract to adapt the now successfully
proven LEO-LEO laser communication terminals to LEO-to-GEO, GEO-GEO, and GEO-to-ground links. This GEO-
class LCT is designed for up to 45,000 km distance at a user data rate of up to 1.8 Gbps.
The next figure (Fig. 8) shows the application for which TESAT has developed and currently builds two GEO-class
LCTs and a 600 Mbps Ka-band subsystem.

Fig. 8. LEO-GEO-ground relay configuration. Under contract from DLR a link shall be established between the LEO
TanDEM-X satellite by optical intersatellite link up to a GEO relay station (AlphaSAT) and by Ka-band RF downlink to
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
The short term mission goal is the realization of a LEO-to-GEO laser communication link completed by a GEO-to-
ground RF link. The strategic goal of a purely optical high data rate GEO-network will be pursued by employing the
GEO LCT for GEO-GEO and GEO-to-ground links. For these experiments an optical ground station near Backnang,
Germany (Fig. 9) is being set up by TESAT with funding support from DLR . The ground station will initially
participate in a LEO-to-ground experimental campaign (from NFIRE and TerraSAR-X) but it will also field-test an
adaptive optics system similar to the one used by ESA on Tenerife.
 Fig. 9. Optical ground station Allmersbach near Backnang, Germany.

5. SUMMARY
With service-like availability the two TESAT LCTs on TerraSAR-X and NFIRE perform on demand optical
intersatellite links based on homodyne BPSK. The links transmit duplex data streams of 5.6 Gbps across nearly
5,000 km with a bit error rate below 10-9. Links are established and full communication is entered within typically less
than 20 s including spatial acquisition and laser phase locking. The design of the LCT is optimised for a short delivery
time of about 24 months after receipt of order, satellite integration time of less than one week and for fully autonomous
operation. TESAT LCTs are therefore well suited for use in satellite networks with mandatory short integration time and
automated operations.
The funding support of the German Space Center DLR is gratefully acknowledged. Work reported in this article was
funded by the DLR under contract number 50 YH-0632.

REFERENCES
[1]
Lange et al., 142 km, 5.625 Gbps free-space optical link based on homodyne BPSK modulation,
Proc. SPIE 6105, 61050A (2006).
[2]
Smutny et al., In-orbit verification of optical inter-satellite communication links, Proc. SPIE 6877, 687702 (2008)

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