Embedded Range and Sync for Inter-Satellite Optical Communications Network

This project has the following goals:

• Achieve distance resolution on the order of centimeters between satellites or spacecraft for relative separations of up to 100,000 kilometers.
• Synchronize satellites to same system time to within a very small margin (current plans will yield 100 ps margin of error)

10 Gbps system
We are currently developing a 10 Gbps system in pursuit of this project’s goals. The system will utilize an OC-192 based free space optical link, which will provide the timing precision needed to achieve our ranging and synchronization specifications, and will provide significant bandwidth for inter-satellite communication. This 10 Gbps system will interface to a FireRing®-based intra-satellite, high speed, real time, fiber optic network.

For more information contact Michael Leary