High-Efficiency, High-Power Laser Transmitter for Deep-Space Communication, Phase I

There is demand for vastly improved deep space satellite communications links. As data rates dramatically increase due to new sensor technologies and the desire to pack even more sensors on spacecraft, it is imperative that new solutions be compact in size, light in weight, be high speed, and highly power efficient. Traditional RF links suffer 1/r2 losses, resulting in low received power, thereby limiting overall data rates. NASA has recognized optical links offer potential improvements in power and in size due to a substantially narrower beam and smaller components. An ideal technology for such links is a laser transmitter master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) using pulse position modulation techniques. Previous work has demonstrated laser transmitter MOPAs up to 100 MHz with wall plug efficiencies up to 18.9% and operating at 1064nm which requires bulky optical components. There still is room for improvement utilizing additional techniques to further increase efficiency and size reduction. This proposal addresses these improvements using several techniques.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.