The Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration

Abstract

The Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration represents NASA's first attempt to demonstrate optical communications from a lunar orbiting spacecraft to an Earth-based ground receiver. A low SWAP optical terminal will be integrated onto the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft, presently scheduled to launch in 2013. LLCD will demonstrate duplex optical communications between this small space terminal and a multi-aperture photon-counting ground terminal at downlink data rates of up to 622 Mbps and uplink data rates of up to 20 Mbps.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 05, 2011
Accession Number
ADA569703

Entities

People

  • Bryan S. Robinson
  • Daniel Murphy
  • Dennis A. Burianek
  • Don M. Boroson

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplifiers
  • Atmospheric Motion
  • Data Rate
  • Detectors
  • Electronics
  • Field Programmable Gate Arrays
  • Focal Plane Arrays
  • Focal Planes
  • Laser Communications
  • Modulation
  • Optical Communications
  • Optical Fibers
  • Pulse Position Modulation
  • Radio Frequency
  • Spacecraft
  • Terminals
  • Transmitters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Quantum Science - Quantum Key Distribution
  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris
  • Space - Satellites