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High-bandwidth optical communications relay payload

  • US 8,953,946 B2
  • Filed: 07/13/2012
  • Issued: 02/10/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A free space optical communication system comprising:

  • a plurality of optical beam expanders for receiving incoming optical signals from and transmitting outgoing optical signals to ground sites and neighboring satellites;

    a plurality of optical preamplifiers for preamplifying the received optical signals;

    one or more optical main amplifiers for amplifying the preamplified optical signals; and

    an optical switch for directing respective amplified optical signals to respective destinations via a respective optical beam expander,wherein respective amplified optical signals are inputted to a respective optical beam expander for transmission to said respective destinations, as said outgoing optical signals, and wherein four optical beam expanders perform optical communication with two nearest neighboring satellites, one of each side, and two next nearest neighboring satellites, one on each side.

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