Adaptive Laser Beam Control Using Return Photon Statistics

During a Phase I STTR Contract #F49620-03-C-0064 provided by AFOSR, Nukove Scientific Consulting addressed “Adaptive Laser Beam Control Using Return Photon Statistics” with considerable success. The Nukove/NMSU Team demonstrated the feasibility of combining Nukove’s statistical approaches to pointing estimation and target identification with a laboratory testbed at NMSU. This proposed Phase II STTR Grant will take the laboratory demonstration to a professional stand-alone estimation tool that may be used in field experiments at telescope facilities around the world. Nukove has considerable contact with experimentalists at the Starfire Optical Range on Kirtland AFB, NM and the AMOS facility on Mt. Haleakala, on Maui, Hawaii. To address the deeper statistical framework for the pointing estimation techniques, Nukove added a statistician at NMSU specializing in analysis specific to the determination of the fundamental limits of the pointing and target estimation. To ensure a professional package will be available in the near term for chi-square testing at NMSU, Nukove has added a software consulting company to the team with 20+ years experience in GUI and web design. The progress during Phase I together with the augmentation of additional team members assures a viable product will be available and well founded in both science and utility.