Dual Fine Tracking Control of a Satellite Laser Communication Uplink

Abstract

A dual fine tracking control system (FTCS) is developed for a single aperture optical communication receiver to compensate for high frequency disturbances affecting tracking of two incident laser communication beams. The optical communication receiver resides within a payload module aboard a geosynchronous satellite, while each laser communication transmitter is housed within a module aboard a high altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In addition to platform specific disturbances, the impact of atmospheric optical disturbances affecting tracking error are investigated. The system dynamics and FTCS are modeled and evaluated in MATLAB and SIMULINK. An optimal controller is developed to mitigate these disturbances and provide tracking errors commensurate with a bit error rate (BER) that does not exceed 1e-6.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 14, 2006
Accession Number
ADA456047

Entities

People

  • Louis A. Noble

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Communication Channels
  • Communication Systems
  • Control Systems
  • Detection
  • Laser Communications
  • Mathematical Filters
  • Multiple Access
  • Optical Communications
  • Quantum Efficiency
  • Refractive Index
  • Satellite Orientation
  • Scattering
  • Signal Processing
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Adaptive Control and Estimation with Uncertainty in Dynamic Systems.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Satellites
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers