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- 3. OPTICAL “DIRECT-TO-EARTH” (DTE) COMM PROVIDE PAYLOAD DATA
VOLUME TRANSFERS FROM DEEP SPACE HIGHER THAN RF SOLUTIONS;
ACTUAL COST TO FULLY EXPLOIT OPTICAL COMM POTENTIAL FROM DEEP
SPACE DISTANCES IN HIGH PHOTON EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS APPEARS PROHIBITIVELY HIGH – BECAUSE OF: LARGE OPTICAL TERRESTRIAL ANTENNAE WITH 4-TO-12M DIAMETER; OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES: 24/7 DAY AND NIGHT OPERATION; POINTING CAPABILITY CLOSE TO THE SUN; POINTING ACCURACY OF LESS THAN 1 ARCSEC UNDER ALL SUN ILLUMINATION & ENVIRONMENTAL (TEMPERATURE, WIND) CONDITIONS.
A NEW CONCEPT WAS DEVELOPED BASED ON SOMEWHAT RELAXED
OPTICAL IMAGING REQUIREMENT FOR SINGLE PHOTON DETECTION, COMBINED WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THERMO-MECHANICAL POINTING REQUIREMENT;
DEVELOPMENT COSTS ARE COMPARABLE TO ARRAYS OF RF ANTENNAE.
Bibliography: “Low Cost Optical Ground Antennae” by Klaus-Juergen Schulz (OPS-GS, ESA-ESOC) “ Antennae”
NEW TECHNOLOGIES UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS (III)