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“i-Heliograph”. Can we make a low power data transmitter to send “lots” of data from the moon to the earth using a 19th century idea enhanced with 21st century technology? How does such a system compare to laser communication?. Replace this guy with a avalanche photodiode and an ethernet port.
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“i-Heliograph” • Can we make a low power data transmitter to send “lots” of data from the moon to the earth using a 19th century idea enhanced with 21st century technology? • How does such a system compare to laser communication?
Replace this guy with a avalanche photodiode and an ethernet port.. Replace this guy with a high speed optical modulator and an ethernet port.
Replacing the guy wiggling the mirror • Voltage Controlled LCD displays (KHz Speeds?) • Acoustic Optical Modulators (speeds up to 100 MHz)
Replacing the guy using his eye to see the signal on the receive end • Avalanche Photo diodes
There should be a power savings compared to Laser Comm • Lasers are ~10% efficient on producing optical output from electricity it gathers from ~25% efficient solar cells. • Total efficiency from sun = 0.25 * 0.1 = 2.5% • Mirrors are ~90% reflective
Other factors in comparison • Mass to moon • Do solar cells and power system with Laser weigh more than a mirror and heliostat? • Reliability • Solar panels, motors, AOMs… • Is dust an issue?
2009 Olin Job • Build a Heliostat to capture the sun • Pipe the light from the Heliostat through either an accoustic optical modulator or a LCD retarder • Build a simple pulse frequency modulator to drive the AOM or LCD retarder • Build a demodulator to read the output of an APD • Predict performance and compare to Laser Comm.
GSFC will provide • A telescope base to make a heliostat • An AOM to modulate light • A Circuit design to produce a FM Pulse train • A Telescope for the receive end • An APD (maybe dual use the one for the MCA project) • The demodulator design.