Configurable, Multi-Beam, Doppler Ladar Based Precision Landing Sensor

Fibertek proposes a configurable, multi-beam, 1.5 um Doppler Lidar sensor, enabled by high-speed non-mechanical beam steering (NMBS). NMBS uses state-of-the-art, high-speed liquid-crystal based components, to provide wide-angle (up to +/- 45 degree), large-aperture, optical beam steering, at speeds of up to 10 kHz. Furthermore, this is integrated into a very compact optical transmit/receive terminal, designed for coherent lidar operation. The proposed Doppler Lidar sensor is estimated to be 4X lower SWaP, and have 3X-5X improved range performance over the current design for entry, descent, landing (EDL) sensors under development at NASA. In addition, the configurable, high-speed, beam-scan pattern provides enhanced functionality for velocity/range/attitude estimate, and even for terrain mapping. The Doppler Lidar landing sensor model will be developed by our Research Institution partner, leveraging their related work on 3D-imaging ladar. The proposed effort targets a space-qualifiable roadmap, as we will leverage ongoing inter-disciplinary engineering development and qualification at Fibertek, for high-reliability, high-power, fiber laser transmitter and transmit/receive optical terminal for deep-space mission.

(1) Compact Doppler Lidar as a precision Entry, Descent and Landing sensor, for planetary/ lunar/asteroid missions. (2) Configurable, rapid-scan, multi-beam capability enabled by NMBS technology, provides for enhanced EDL sensor functionality, e.g. for terrain-mapping, hazard avoidance, and hazard relative navigation. (3) Relative navigation sensor for spacecraft constellation flying, enabled by lidar ranging sensors with NMBS technology (4) Laser beam pointing, stabilization, and scanning of any Lidar/Ladar based sensor, including for mosaic-tiled 3D-imaging ladar.

(1) Agile, compact optical terminal for laser communication for hosted-payloads, small-satellite, and CubeSat platform, that are of interest to AF and NRO missions. (2) Enables space optical networking, and autonomous communication links for satellite constellation mission. (3) Enables optical time-transfer for accurate navigation, with potential for optically aided GPS (4) Precision steering for mosaic-tiled 3D Imaging Ladar application, for ISR missions. (5) Laser beam-steering, tracking and stabilization for directed-energy laser application.

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