Laser experiments in light cloudiness with the geostationary satellite ARTEMIS

1Kuzkov, VP, 1Kuzkov, SV, 2Sodnik, Z
1Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Space Sci.&Technol. 2016, 22 ;(4):38-50
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2016.04.038
Publication Language: English
Abstract: 
The geostationary satellite ARTEMIS was launched in July 2001. The satellite is equipped with a laser communication terminal, which was used for the world’s first inter-satellite laser communication link between ARTEMIS and the low earth orbit satellite SPOT-4. Ground-to-space laser communication experiments were also conducted under various atmospheric conditions involving ESA’s optical ground station. With a rapidly increasing volume of information transferred by geostationary satellites, there is a rising demand for high-speed data links between ground stations and satellites. For ground-to-space laser communications there are a number of important design parameters that need to be addressed, among them, the influence of atmospheric turbulence in different atmospheric conditions and link geometries.
                  The Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine developed a precise computer tracking system for its 0.7 m AZT-2 telescope and a compact laser communication package LACES (Laser Atmosphere and Communication Experiments with Satellites) for laser communication experiments with geostationary satellites. The specially developed software allows computerized tracking of the satellites using their orbital data. A number of laser experiments between MAO and ARTEMIS were conducted in partial cloudiness with some amount of laser light observed through clouds. Such conditions caused high break-up (splitting) of images from the laser beacon of ARTEMIS. One possible explanation is Raman scattering of photons on molecules of a water vapor in the atmosphere. Raman scattering causes a shift in a wavelength of the photons. In addition, a different value for the refraction index appears in the direction of the meridian for the wavelength-shifted photons. This is similar to the anomalous atmospheric refraction that appears at low angular altitudes above the horizon. We have also estimated the atmospheric attenuation and the influence of atmospheric turbulence on observed results. The results and interpretations are presented in the paper.
Keywords: atmosphere, clouds, laser communication, satellite, scattering
References: 
1. Alonso A., Reyes M., Sodnik Z. Performance of satellite-to-ground communications link between ARTEMIS and the Optical Ground Station. Proc. SPIE, 5572, P. 372 (2004).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.565516
2. Don Boroson M. Overview of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration. Proc. International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) 2014, Kobe, Japan, May 7 — 9, S1-2, P. 1—7 (2014).
3. Hauschildt H., Garat F., Greus H., et al. European Data Relay System – one year to go!  Proc. International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) 2014, Kobe, Japan, May 7—9, S1-3, P. 1—5 (2014).
4. Jono T., Takayama Y., Kura N., et al. OICETS on-orbit laser communication experiments. Proc. SPIE, 6105, 13—23 (2006).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.673751
5. Kuzkov S., Sodnik Z., Kuzkov V. Laser communication experiments with ARTEMIS satellite. Proceedings of 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 23—27 September 2013 in Beijing, China, IAC-13-B2.3.8, Paper ID: 16572 (2013).
6. Kuzkov V., Andruk V., Sizonenko Yu ., Sodnik Z. Investigation of Atmospheric Instability for Communication Experiments with ESA's Geostationary Satellite ARTEMIS. Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies. Suppl., N 5, 561—565 (2005).
7. Kuzkov V., Andruk V., Sodnik Z., et al. Investigating the correlation between the motions of the images of close stars for laser communications experiments with the Artemis satellite. Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies, 24 (1), 56—62 (2008).
8. Kuzkov V., Kuzkov S., Sodnik Z., Caramia V. Laser experiments with ARTEMIS satellite in cloudy conditions. Proc. International Conf. Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) 2014, Kobe, Japan, May 7 — 9, S 4-4, P. 1 - 8 (2014).
9. Kuzkov V. P., Nedashkovskii V. N. A receiver with an avalanche photodiode for the optical communication channel from a geostationary satellite. Instrum. and Exp. Techn., 47 (4), 513—515 (2004).
https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INET.0000038399.39871.02
10. Kuzkov V., Sodnik Z., Kuzkov S., et al. Laser communication experiments with a geostationary satellite from a ground telescope. Space Sci. and Technol., 14 (2), 51—55 (2008).
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2008.02.051
11. Kuzkov V., Volovyk D., Kuzkov S., et al. Realization of laser experiments with ESA’s geostationary satellite ARTEMIS. Space Sci. and Technol., 16 (2), 65 - 69 (2010).
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2010.02.065
12. Kuzkov V., Volovyk D., Kuzkov S., et al. Laser Ground System for Communication Experiments with ARTEMIS. Proceedings of International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS-2012), October 9—12, Corsica, France, 3-2, 1—9 (2012).
13. Lange R ., Smutny B. Homodyne BPSK-based optical inter-satellite communication links. Proc. SPIE, 6457, 645—703 (2007).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.698646 
14. Motzigemba M. Improvement of information latency in EO-Missions with the use of hybrid Laser/RF systems. Proc. 64th Int. Astronautical Congress, Beijing, China, 2013, IAC, B2.3.9, P. 1—4 (2013).
15. Reyes M., Alonso A., Chueca S., et al. Ground to space optical communication haracterization. Proc. SPIE, 5892, P. 589202-1 — 589202-16 (2005).
16. Reyes M., Sodnik Z ., Lopez P., et al. Preliminary results of the in-orbit test of ARTEMIS with the Optical Ground Station. Proc. SPIE, 635, 38—49 (2002).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.464083 
17. Romba J., Sodnik Z., Reyes M., et al. ESA’s Bidirectional Space-to-Ground Laser Communication Experiments. Proc. SPIE, 5550, 287—298 (2004).
18. Smutny B., Kaempfner H., Muehlnikel G., et al. 5.6 Gbps optical inter-satellite communication link. Proc. of SPIE, 7199, 719—906 (2009).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.812209 
19. Sodnik Z., Furch B., Lutz H. The ESA Optical Ground Station – Ten Years Since First Light. ESA bulletin, N 132, 34—40 (November 2007).
20. Sodnik Z., Smit H., Sans M., et al. Results from a Lunar Laser Communication Experiment between NASA's LADEE Satellite and ESA's Optical Ground Station. Proc. Int. Conf. on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) 2014, Kobe, Japan, May 7—9, S2-1, P. 1—9 (2014).
21. Tolker-Nielsen T., Oppenhauser G. In-orbit test result of an operational optical inter satellite link between ARTEMIS and SPOT4, SILEX. Proc. SPIE, 4635, 1—15 (2002).
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.464105
22. Toyoshima M., Yamakawa S.,Yamawaki T., et al. Ground-to-satellite optical link tests between the Japanese laser communication terminal and the European geostationary satellite ARTEMIS. Proc. SPIE, 5338A (2004).
23. Toyoshima M., Yamakawa S., Yamawaki T., et al. Long-term statistics of laser beam propagation in an optical ground-to-geostationary satellite communications link. IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagation, 53  (2), 842—850 (2005).