A Novel Approach to Prevention of Acid Rock Drainage

Not Available The Project objective is the concept definition of a novel architecture for cross-linking a LEO cluster of small satellites, flying in close formation and collaboratively performing shared/distributed processing missions. This effort conceptualizes and evaluates satellite local area networks (S-LANs) employing a Central Network Administrator (MotherSat) for network control and a free-space digital optical communication link (DOCL) based on optical code division multiple access (CDMA) for data communication among the satellite nodes. The objective is simultaneous, asynchronous, reconfigurable addressing of all nodes in the S-LAN for high-data-rate, low-latency, low-probability-of-intercept communications. Two topologies/protocols are postulated where the MotherSat: 1) acts as the hub/switch for S-LAN connections, and 2) sets up point-to-point links among the satellite nodes. All-optical and synergistic RF (for command and control)/optical (for data transfer) technologies are considered. This effort will trade off S-LAN communication topologies, define optimal optical link differentiation techniques, determine minimum optical assemblies per node, and perform conceptual and preliminary designs of DOCL transceivers, optical pointing/tracking subassemblies, and onboard interfaces between them. This project will define a proof-of-concept prototype to be developed in Phase II.