Micro Adaptive-optics Unit

As the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the U. S. inventory increases, and the number and capability of sensors installed on UAVs increases there is a growing need for high bandwidth communication to provide real time data streams to in theatre and CONUS command centers.  Optical communication provides a potential route to provide high bandwidth communication links from UAVs to satellites. Topic Area AF083-010 establishes top level requirements for such an optical communication system. Nutronics has performed a system engineering based flowdown of the requirements in the Topic Area description and determine an optimal path for a Micro Adaptive-optics Unit (MAU).  Nutronics converged to an innovative solution leveraging sound technologies with a high probability of program success based on use of analysis of fade probability distributions to assess subsystem requirements.  Nutronics system engineering evaluation eliminated such attractive approaches as phased arrays and gradient descent methods and converged to the MAU approach. Nutronics proposed approach leverages innovative component technologies and innovative configurations to minimize system footprint and to meet or exceed the requirements set forth in Topic Area AF083-010. BENEFIT: The proposed effort has numerous potential benefits and commercial applications, including (but not limited to): laser communication, space situational awareness, astronomical ground based imaging, laser radar, laser rangefinding, air-base defense, ship self-defense, and tactical precision strike.