Lasers for Improved Communications and Astrophysics

Laser communications and data networking is gaining ground with laser terminals on the International Space Station and planned for the Artemis II mission and Lunar Gateway. This internet of light has implications for revolutionizing more than communications, however. Astronomers are looking at how it can transform our ability to peer deep into the cosmos, including resolving the environment around black holes. Peter Kurczynski’s Event Horizon Explorer Mission Concept Study seeks to establish a mission to extend the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of radio telescopes that provided humanity’s first look at a black hole. Kurczynski said the way to improve the resolution on that first fuzzy red image of an event horizon is to increase the size of the telescope network beyond Earth.

To transmit the high volume of radio data with the precise synchronization needed to integrate with that network, he would need Lasercomm’s data communication capacity. Hua Jiao has been working for years to improve data rates and reduce error rates in optical communications receivers and modems. His FY22 project prototyped a multiplexing optical modem that could be used for the Event Horizon Telescope. Jiao’s project proved capable of handling 300 Gbps of optical data with a low error rate.

Planetary

Further exploration of the Moon and other planets will require identification of compounds for resource utilization as well as science. Several Lunar and Planetary Sciences IRADs focused on new ways to break down and interpret the components of these worlds.

Steven Li developed and tested a compact, mid-infrared laser with a high repetition rate for mapping volatiles on airless bodies, as well as mapping the dark sides and permanently shadowed regions of asteroids, planets, or moons. The ATLAS-iOPO laser will produce a 100mW beam between 2 to 3.5 µm in wavelength. This is about 10 times higher output power with the same size instrument as used for the Lunar Orbiting Laser Altimeter on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Meanwhile, Timothy Stubbs worked on a multi-wavelength spectroscopic lidar for similar goals.

On the other end of the spectrum, Amy McAdam workd on a Light Element X-ray Analyzer, or LEXA. Her alpha particle X-ray spectrometer would effectively analyze light elements as heavy as Carbon for lunar and planetary missions.

Earth

Space-based observations of Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL) on a global level is a key Earth science focus area for the coming decades. Studying the global system will enable scientists better understand the interaction between the surface and the atmosphere and how that evolves in a global, changing climate.

Antonia Gambacorta has been working on technology to study this layer using hundreds to thousands of wavelengths of light. In FY22, she developed data fusion retrieval algorithms to demonstrate a multi-sensor technology approach to PBL Sounding (See CuttingEdge Winter 2022), and she recently won a 4.5 million ESTO grant to continue development. She also received an FY23 IRAD to integrate cloud profiles into her atmospheric simulation models.

To help monitor the pollutant NO2 in the boundary layer, Steven Bailey developed and tested a radiosonde based on a technique called Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (CEAS). He successfully flew his instruments on two balloon flights through the lower atmosphere. NO2 is a critical pollutant that produces harmful ground-level ozone as well as acid rain.

John Moisan said AI will direct his A-Eye, a movable sensor. After analyzing images scanned with a wide view camera, his AI would not just find known patterns in new data, but also steer the sensor to observe and discover new features or biological processes. Moisan is continuing to develop HYPPOS, his Hypermapping with Hyperspectral Precise Pointing Optical Sensor (See CuttingEdge, Fall 2022) by focusing on the pointing algorithms in FY23.

Spars

In addition to the greater science data collection demands on smaller satellites, improved processing capability will enable future Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM). These will require faster processing not only for sciencedata collection and packaging but also for the additional demands of constellation or swarm management. Gary Crum’s Miniaturized, High-Reliability Quad-Core Processor Card design will cover a capabilities gap in processing needs identified between Goddard’s current MUSTANG, SpaceCube, and MARES designs.

Alessandro Geist is working towards developing a miniaturized, high-reliability solid-state data recorder (SSDR) for CubeSat/SmallSat applications or instrument electronic boxes in harsh radiation environments. Geist’s card design features high read/write data rates and massive density (12 Tbits) in a 10 cm x 10cm card. Smaller missions are targeting harsher radiation environments such as geostationary Earth orbit, polar orbit, and lunar and planetary missions. The team completed the requirements, printed circuit board schematic and layout, and parts list for the SSDR adapter card and has sent out the board for fabrication and assembly.

Helio

Studying solar flares in X-ray frequencies is challenging due to the enormous quantity of photons emitted from the sun during a flare. Kyle Gregory’s team is working on a Caliste hard X-Ray detector capable of handling very large X-ray bursts while keeping it compact and power efficient. These requirements make their sensor an ideal technology for a secondary instrument on a larger mission or as a CubeSat sensor that could be incorporated into many missions. This technology could advance of our understanding of solar flares by enabling the first stereoscopic X-ray measurements of a solar flare via the PADRE mission in collaboration with Solar Orbiter.

To understand the physics of interactions between coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the ambient solar wind, Jeffrey Newmark is working on a miniature coronagraph instrument to fit into a 6U package – about the size of a briefcase. This compact instrument will help advance scientists’ knowledge of shock formation in the Sun’s atmosphere, or heliosphere, as well as the expanse of CMEs in interplanetary space. This will lead to better estimates of CME arrival times and their potential impact on Earth’s space weather, satellites, and human explorers.