A case study of an hybrid RF and optical inter-satellite link terminal to enhance optical pointing

The attitude determination and control system of a satellite plays a crucial role, especially in optical communication systems due to the narrow field-of-view of the laser. In the last years, the space ecosystem has shown a large interest in optical technology due to its high speed, reduced size, weight, and power, and reliable communications link. However, its narrow field-of-view puts some challenges in terms of connectivity. For this reason, an optical terminal requires a pointing, acquisition, and tracking system to establish the link. This work proposes the use of a dual-plane communications system in which optics and low throughput radiofrequency technologies are combined in a single module. This hybrid system leverages on the quasi-omnidirectional ability of the radiofrequency antennas to enhance the optical pointing system. The improvement is evaluated by means of a simulator that includes the dynamic pointing between two spacecraft. Results demonstrate that the designed hybrid system can heavily reduce the pointing error.
This work was supported and funded by the by the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and the European Union – NextGeneration EU, in the framework of the Recovery Plan, Transformation and Resilience (PRTR) (Call UNICO I+D 5G 2021, ref. number TSI-063000-2021- 5- 6GSatNet-SS), and by the Government of Catalonia in the scope of the NewSpace Strategy for Catalonia. This work has also partially funded by Ministry of Science and Innovation MICIN/Agencia Estatal de Investigación AEI/10.13039/501100811033 and EU Feder through project “GENESIS: GNSS Environmental and Societal missions” grant PID2021-126436OB-C21.
Peer Reviewed
Postprint (author's final draft)