High Power (50W) WDM Space Lasercom 1.5um Fiber Laser Transmitter

Fibertek proposes to develop and demonstrate a spaceflight prototype of a wideband, high power (up to 50W), polarization maintaining (PM), 1.5-um fiber laser transmitter, supporting high data rate wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) operation for space optical communication links. The proposed 1.5-um fiber laser transmitter will support up to 8x WDM channels at 4W/channel, with 256-ary pulse-position-modulation (PPM) format, operating at ~10-kW peak power per channel, with >20-nm gain-flat bandwidth, and with 20% power conversion efficiency. The proposed 1.5-um fiber laser transmitter also supports 20x WDM channels at 2.5W/channel, operating at 10 GHz data rate (for 200GHz total) in burst-mode RZ-DPSK modulation. The proposed 10x scaling of the average and peak power performance for such a space-qualifiable WDM 1.5-um transmitter enables >100x data-rate scaling of current space laser communication links. The successful outcome of Phase I and II will be to develop a prototype, space-qualifiable, high-efficiency, high-power (50W), 1.5-um WDM space lasercom transmitter. This advances the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 3 to 5 and supports TRL-6 environmental testing in subsequent phases.

- Space laser communication transmitter for ISS/LEO/GEO platforms, similar to NASA technology demonstrator missions, such as LLCD and the upcoming NASA ILLUMA and NASA LCRD mission. - High-data rate, multi-channel laser transmitters, as an adjunct high-volume data link for Earth Science missions, such as for hyper-spectral imaging. - Support NASA SCaN roadmap to enable large science data volume returns from deep space missions. - The fiber amplifier/laser design, packaging and technology maturation will support related laser transmitter developments for Earth Science missions, including NASA ASCENDS, CO2 lidar, CH4/H2O, and also for Wind Lidar.

- High data-rate, low SWaP, laser transmitters for optical communication from LEO/GEO satellites - High data-rate real-time feed from multiple UAVs via LEO/GEO crosslinks

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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