NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) mission began its two-year Experiment Program in June of 2022. This experimental phase includes long-term measurement of the effects of the atmosphere (turbulence, weather) on the performance and availability of lasercom. In addition, various future operational scenarios including robotic and exploration missions, and various network service configurations are being emulated. In addition to experiments and demonstrations proposed by the LCRD Investigator Team, NASA enables individuals and groups from government agencies, academia, and industry to propose experiments under the LCRD Guest Experimenters Program. This conference paper provides highlights of the early LCRD experiments and a preview of the remaining experiments, including relaying data to and from the Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) on the International Space Station. The LCRD geosynchronous payload includes two laser communications terminals interconnected via an on-board electronic switch, and can relay information between two optical ground stations located in California and Hawaii. LCRD is a joint project between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL).


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Early Results from NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Experiment Program


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    SPIE Photonics West ; 2023 ; San Francisco, CA, US


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Early Results from NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Experiment Program

    D. J. Israel / B. L. Edwards / R. L. Butler et al. | NTIS | 2023


    Early Results from NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Experiment Program

    David J. Israel / Bernard L. Edwards / Richard L. Butler et al. | NTRS


    NASA's LCRD, Laser Communications Relay Demonstration

    Edwards, Bernard / Fletcher, Andrew | NTRS | 2013


    Early Results from NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Experiment Program

    David J. Israel / Bernard L. Edwards / Richard L. Butler et al. | NTRS