Radio Science experiments currently rely on unmodulated continuous wave RF signal carrier for spectral purity and maximized signal-to-noise ratio. This requires missions to carefully schedule them away from periods of high rate telemetry. In the era of optical communications, currently designed systems experience the same problem. In this paper, a data processing architecture is derived that will yield high-accuracy link science type of information on the ground from readily transmitted communication signals coming from space assets, through optical links. This technique is intended to save power, bandwidth and scheduling demands on the spacecraft. Our proposed technical approach is applicable to a phase modulated laser thus providing an architectural improvement to present state-of-the-art optical communication systems utilized by NASA as well as to future systems. The approach is to, first, obtain the achievable performance of Radio Science measurements from the received optical telemetry signals. This extends our previous results presented on Radio Science measurements for suppressed carrier RF signals. Secondly, a practical system is proposed that approaches the ultimate theoretical performance for estimating the amplitude, phase, and frequency variations due to the changes in the planet atmosphere. For optical links, our previous results to phase modulated CW laser communications are extended. The same information required for radio science data can be extracted by using either differential methods of encoding or phase modulated orthogonal signals and at the optical receiver a non-coherent local laser and an array of photon detectors are used. The performance of these phase modulated schemes is analyzed.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Radio Science measurements using phase modulated optical links


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2015-03-01


    Size :

    1025525 byte




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Radio Science measurements in presence of data on optical and RF links

    Divsalar, Dariush / Asmar, Sami / Moision, Bruce et al. | IEEE | 2014


    Linearization of Phase-Modulated Analog Optical Links Employing Interferometric Demodulation

    McKinney, J.D. / Colladay, K. / Williams, K.J. | British Library Online Contents | 2009


    Linearization of Phase-Modulated Analog Optical Links Employing Interferometric Demodulation

    McKinney, J.D. / Colladay, K. / Williams, K.J. | British Library Online Contents | 2009


    Performance Evaluation of Digital Coherent Receivers for Phase-Modulated Radio-Over-Fiber Links

    Caballero, A. / Zibar, D. / Monroy, I.T. | British Library Online Contents | 2011


    Polarization in Phase Modulated Optical Links: Jones- and Generalized Stokes-Space Analysis

    Frigo, N.J. / Bucholtz, F. / McLaughlin, C.V. | British Library Online Contents | 2013