Innovative CubeSat Payloads for USSOCOM Space Missions

Small satellites have proven capable and cost effective, and innovative payloads and technologies will expand the mission space that CubeSats can support. ATA proposes to build a CubeSat-sized laser communications prototype payload, adapting high photon efficiency optical communications techniques to achieve data transfer rates up to 100 mega-bits per second (Mbps) with the small apertures required for CubeSats and highly portable ground optical systems. The system uses commercially available components along with precision pointing mechanisms and electronics developed by ATA for commercial space applications, resulting in a reliable, low-cost system that can be rapidly demonstrated and deployed. The CubeSat LaserCom system provides a store-and-forward data link between ground terminals, orbiting CubeSat laser communications platforms, and command centers. The core of the CubeSat LaserCom system is a miniature optical terminal using a single, 15 mm aperture for transmit, receive, and tracking functions. A short-wave infrared (SWIR) track camera shares the aperture through a conventional beam splitter, and the communications transmit and receive beams are combined using a fiber optic circulator. Fine pointing for the combined aperture is provided by a single fast beam steering mirror.