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Completed TRL 5 (started at 4, targeting 5)
To answer calls for vegetation canopy and cryosphere lidar instrument including but not limited to Canopy Height and Glacier Elevation (CHANGE) and Global Ecosystems Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) 2, we propose to design and build a next generation laser transmitter architecture. In this proposal we will develop a bread board demonstration 1064 nm, 5 ns, 10 mJ laser that will be used to study mission requirement margins in a laboratory environment. This laser will use the highly successful design elements from the GEDI Laser and update the architecture to achieve mission requirements.
The 2017 Earth Science Decadal Survey identified a new competed class of cost-capped missions, designed the Earth System Explorers. Among the 7 topics specifically identified, ice elevation and canopy height and structure are two topics that a laser-altimeter based mission architecture could meet. The first ESE Announcement of Opportunity is expected in FY22.
Our end product will be a laser system meeting the mission driving requirements 1064 nm, 5 ns, 10 mJ. The intent would be to have a robust and high confidence laser test bed that heavily leverages the GEDI laser that could in turn be could be used for flight proposals supporting topographic, vegetation and cryosphere lidars that would need a fast turn around on relatively high TRL laser technology.
This concept would leverage innovative 3-D print technology for the breadboard build that has been invested in a FY21 GFIC “ Characterization and Testing of Copper-Nickel Electroplated 3D Printed Parts for Space Flight Applications”
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