Aerospace & Defense Technology - September 2021 - 27

RF & Microwave Technology
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ULTRA Miniature
A conceptualization of NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) communicating data
over infrared laser links between the International Space Station and a ground station on Earth. (Credit:
NASA/Dave Ryan)
Over the course of this and the other
following agreements, BridgeComm
engineers met with their counterparts
at NASA to discuss development of the
company's laser systems. A large portion
of the collaboration was through
consulting, ensuring that the researchers
at BridgeComm had access to
a wide knowledge base. While working
with Goddard, the company also made
agreements with NASA Headquarters,
NASA's Ames Research Center in California,
and NASA's Glenn Research
Center in Cleveland. With all these
centers onboard, the company could
apply NASA expertise to every part of
its system.
There are a few key parts to make
these systems work. Compared to the
wide area a radio signal can cover,
lasers from space can only be received
across an area the size of a football
field. To allow ground stations to reliably
pick up the signals from space,
BridgeComm and NASA teams brainstormed
a way to ensure the beam remained
trained on a spot on the planet
below. By mounting the entire laser system
on a gimbal and using fine steering
mirrors, the engineers could ensure the
beam didn't wander as the satellite
moved through its orbit. Gimballed optical
modules are also used on the
LCRD payload.
Also key to the system are amplifiers.
While the lasers can travel a great distance,
they need to be powerful enough
to travel the potentially interplanetary
distances needed for NASA missions.
BridgeComm's amplifiers can keep the
beams strong, while being small enough
to fit on a satellite.
Shining Lights on the Horizon
BridgeComm's primary customers are
those that need high-speed communications
but don't want to compete for
bandwidth on the already crowded
radio channels. Since the completion of
the Goddard agreement, BridgeComm
has received additional funding from
Boeing Horizon Ventures to further
build out BridgeComm's communications
technology, making additional
ground stations for future satellites that
might use its system.
There are already interested customers
for the BridgeComm system as
well. The company is working on laser
communications equipment for satellite
manufacturer ICEYE and the geo -
spatial data company HySpecIQ,
which both hope to use the light amplifiers
and specialized gimbals on
their new satellite constellations. With
the award of the HySpecIQ contract,
due for launch in 2022, BridgeComm
is one of the first companies to commercialize
optical communications
technology in space.
For more information, visit https://spinoff.
nasa.gov/satellite-laser-communications.
Aerospace & Defense Technology, September 2021 www.aerodefensetech.com
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http://info.hotims.com/79417-806 http://info.hotims.com/79417-806 https://spinoff.nasa.gov/satellite-laser-communications http://www.aerodefensetech.com http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?202109ADTNAV

Aerospace & Defense Technology - September 2021

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