Performance analysis of an adaptive optics based optical feeder link ground station
Nicolas Védrenne, Cyril Petit, Aurélie Montmerle-Bonnefois, Caroline B. Lim, Jean-Marc Conan, Laurie Paillier, M.-T. Velluet, Karine Caillault, François Gustave, Anne Durécu, Vincent Michau, F. Cassaing, Serge Meimon, Joseph Montri
Abstract
Space data highway networks are currently being deployed to provide high data rate connectivity to non-fibre-connected areas around the world and to prepare the incoming growth of Internet Of Things market. Among other solutions, GEO optical feeder links are seen as the backbone of the future globalized very high data rate satellite-based telecommunication networks. The FEEDELIO experiment developed for ESA in April 2019 demonstrated the relevance of angular decorrelation models to assess the statistical characteristics of the pre-compensated uplink irradiance that is deeply affected by anisoplanatism. Based on the conclusion drawn from this experiment, we present the results of a preliminary design study of an Adaptive Optics (AO) pre-compensated optical feeder links ground station. Exploiting end-to-end simulations under relevant turbulence conditions, time-correlated fading statistics are investigated to provide typical fading durations for AO pre-compensated optical channel, taking into account the impact of point-ahead mispointing errors.