Title :
The laser transmitters for the NASA/CNES CALIPSO and NASA ICESat-2 missions
Author :
Hovis, Floyd ; Stephen, Mark
Author_Institution :
Fibertek, Inc., USA
Abstract :
Lasers designed for space-based applications must meet stringent performance requirements, but be robust enough to survive severe vibrational launch levels, and operate reliably on orbit for years with no maintenance. The transmitters that are currently in use in the CALIPSO mission and that are being designed for the ICESat-2 mission are good examples of this type of laser. We use our experiences in the design, build, and qualification testing of these lasers to illustrate our approach to space-flight laser development.
Keywords :
aerospace instrumentation; laser reliability; optical design techniques; optical testing; optical transmitters; quantum cascade lasers; NASA ICESAT-2 mission; NASA-CNES CALIPSO mission; laser design; laser transmitter; space flight laser; space-based application; vibrational launch levels; Fiber lasers; Laser applications; Optical transmitters; Pump lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Testing; Diode-pumped lasers; space-based lasers;
Conference_Titel :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2012 IEEE International
Conference_Location :
Munich
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-1160-1
Electronic_ISBN :
2153-6996
DOI :
10.1109/IGARSS.2012.6352325
