Satellite-borne laser terminal system

Abstract

The invention provides a satellite-borne laser terminal system, and the system comprises an optical antenna which is disposed at the edge of a cabin plate of the outer surface of a satellite, and is used for receiving a first optical signal and transmitting a second optical signal; the optical antenna controller is arranged in the satellite close to the optical antenna, is connected with the optical antenna through a cable, and is used for controlling the optical antenna; the light amplification unit is arranged in a specified temperature control area on the edge of a cabin plate in the satellite, is connected with the optical antenna through an optical fiber and is used for carrying out amplification processing on the optical signal; and the optical signal processing unit is arranged in a specified temperature control area, performs optical signal transmission with the optical amplification unit, and is used for analyzing and processing the amplified first optical signal, transmitting the amplified first optical signal to related equipment on a satellite and analyzing and converting to-be-sent information of the satellite into a second optical signal. Therefore, the layout design of the satellite-borne laser terminal system can meet the complex interface requirements of the system for links, thermal control, structural stability, final assembly, testing and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of spacecraft design, and in particular to a spaceborne laser terminal system. Background Art

[0002] Space laser communication refers to the use of laser beams transmitted in space as information carriers to achieve fixed and mobile communications between two or more terminals. At present, satellite communications mainly use microwave communication, but the wavelength of microwaves is long and the antenna size is large, so the system is large in size and weight, and the power consumption is high. With the continuous increase in data capacity, this deficiency is more obvious. In order to solve the bottleneck of satellite communications, it is necessary to shift the research on intersatellite communications to the optical band. Satellite laser communication technology uses lasers to replace traditional microwaves as carriers. It has the characteristics of wide bandwidth, small size, light weight, low power consumption, good confidentiality, and no spectrum restrictions. It has become an effective means to solve the bandwidth bottleneck of satellite microwave communications and alleviate the shortage of satellite spectrum resources, and to achieve high-speed satellite communications. It can meet the growing communication needs of future space activities. Specifically, for microwaves, the use of lasers for satellite communications has the following advantages:

[0003] (1) Communication capacity can be significantly increased. The laser wavelength is short. The working wavelength of semiconductor laser LD generally used for communication is 0.8-0.9am, 1.3prn and 1.55 / an. The frequency is as high as 1014Hz or more. The available bandwidth is more than 10 times that of microwaves. Therefore, the laser communication capacity can be significantly increased. At present, intersatellite optical communication is developing systems with a speed of more than 10Gbps.

[0004] (2) Smaller transmission power requirements. Antenna gain is inversely proportional to the square of the beam divergence angle. The divergence angle of the collimated LD is much smaller than that of the microwave beam, so the antenna gain of intersatellite optical communication is much greater than that of microwave communication. Under the same communication distance, intersatellite optical communication can use smaller transmission power to achieve satellite communication.

[0005] (3) Smaller transceiver antennas and system structures. The shorter the operating wavelength, the smaller the required transceiver antenna aperture. The operating wavelength of optical communication is 3 to 5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of microwave communication. When the antenna aperture required for microwave communication is in the order of meters, the antenna aperture required for laser communication is only in the order of centimeters. Therefore, the weight and volume of the intersatellite optical communication system can be made relatively light and small.

[0006] (4) Strong confidentiality. Since the divergence angle of the communication laser beam is very small, it is impossible to interfere with or intercept the communication information, which is very important for military applications. Space optical communication technology is an effective solution for high-rate communication in the future information society.

[0007] The satellite laser communication system is an optomechanical system that covers multiple fields such as optomechanical, including three basic subsystems of optics, tracking and aiming, and communication, as well as supporting systems such as thermal control and power distribution. It uses laser as an information carrier to first complete the high-precision link establishment between two satellites, and then conduct high-speed data communication after the link is successfully established.

[0008] The optical subsystem is composed of an optical antenna, a relay optical path and various receiving and transmitting optical branches. The various parts are closely connected to jointly realize high-quality transmission and reception of laser signals. The aiming and tracking subsystem is composed of a coarse tracking unit, a fine tracking unit, an advance unit, etc. It mainly completes the aiming, capture and tracking of spatial optical signals. It uses a aiming and tracking turntable with azimuth and pitch functions, combined with the calculation and processing of control signals, to achieve precise alignment of the laser communication optical antennas of the two satellites that need to communicate, and ensure that the laser signals sent to each other by both parties can enter the other party's communication subsystem through the optical subsystem.

[0009] The communication subsystem consists of a laser carrier unit, an electro-optical modulation unit, an optical amplification unit, an optical demodulation unit, etc., and mainly completes the functions of modulation / demodulation, optical amplification and signal processing of the optical signal of the satellite laser communication system.

[0010] Satellite laser communication has become an important means of high-speed communication for satellites and other spacecraft due to its advantages such as wide bandwidth and no electromagnetic spectrum constraints. However, due to the small divergence angle of satellite laser communication, optical systems and high-precision tracking and aiming auxiliary mechanisms are required to complete the link establishment, making the system more complex. At the same time, due to the short history of satellite laser communication technology, the life and reliability of core optoelectronic devices such as lasers, electro-optical modulators, optical amplification units, and photodetectors used in the system have not been verified on a large scale in space environments. After satellite laser communication technology is put into practical use, it needs to be tested and improved over a long period of time and a large number of cases. Summary of the invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a satellite-borne laser terminal system, the layout design of which can meet the complex interface requirements of the satellite-borne laser terminal system, such as link, thermal control, structural stability, assembly, and testing.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a satellite-borne laser terminal system, comprising:

[0013] An optical antenna, arranged at the edge of a cabin panel on the outer surface of the satellite, for receiving a first optical signal from another satellite or a ground station and sending a second optical signal of the satellite to another satellite or a ground station;

[0014] An optical antenna controller is disposed inside the satellite close to the optical antenna and connected to the optical antenna through a cable, so as to control the optical antenna by issuing control instructions;

[0015] At least one optical amplification unit is disposed in a designated temperature-controlled area on the side of the satellite's internal cabin board and performs optical signal communication with the optical antenna through an optical fiber, so as to amplify the first optical signal received by the optical antenna and amplify the second optical information to be sent and transmit it to the optical antenna;

[0016] An optical signal processing unit is arranged in the designated temperature control area and transmits optical signals to the optical amplification unit through optical fiber, so as to parse and process the amplified first optical signal and transmit it to the relevant equipment on the satellite and parse and process the information to be sent by the satellite into the second optical signal.

[0017] Furthermore, an optical antenna raising structure for raising the relative distance between the optical antenna and the cabin board is provided between the optical antenna and the cabin board, and the bottom of the optical antenna is connected to an optical antenna radiator, and the optical antenna radiator is distributed at the edge corner of the cabin board opposite to the optical antenna.

[0018] Furthermore, the optical fiber path connecting the optical amplification unit, the optical signal processing unit and the optical antenna is arranged on the edge of the cabin board on the same side as the optical antenna inside the satellite.

[0019] Furthermore, the designated temperature control area is an independent thermal control area, which is provided with a main temperature control system to achieve independent temperature control, and the active temperature control system includes a heating device or a cooling device.

[0020] Furthermore, the designated temperature control area is located on the inner surface of the cabin board and uses the cabin board as the heat dissipation surface.

[0021] The layout positions of the various components of the satellite-borne laser terminal system described in the present invention can meet the requirements of optical fiber signal transmission and control signal transmission of the satellite-borne laser terminal system; and the layout positions of the various components can meet the thermal control design requirements of each single machine of the satellite-borne laser terminal system; the thermal control and structural stability of the optical terminal layout position can meet the working requirements of the single machine; the direction of the optical fiber can meet the requirements of good laying, assembly operation and testing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the layout structure of the satellite-borne laser terminal provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the optical antenna of the satellite-borne laser terminal provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 3A schematic diagram showing the structures of the optical amplification unit and the optical signal processing unit in the designated temperature control area of ​​the satellite-borne laser terminal provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the optical fiber routing layout structure of the satellite-borne laser terminal provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the information flow relationship of the satellite-borne laser terminal in the process of sending and receiving optical signals provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] It should be noted that references to "one embodiment", "embodiment", "example embodiment", etc. in this specification refer to the embodiment described, which may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include these specific features, structures or characteristics. In addition, such expressions do not refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when describing specific features, structures or characteristics in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not there is an explicit description, it has been shown that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to combine such features, structures or characteristics into other embodiments.

[0029] In addition, certain words are used in the specification and subsequent claims to refer to specific components or parts. Those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant field should understand that manufacturers can use different nouns or terms to refer to the same component or part. This specification and subsequent claims do not use differences in names as a way to distinguish components or parts, but use differences in the functions of components or parts as the criteria for distinction. "Including" and "including" mentioned throughout the specification and subsequent claims are open-ended terms and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the word "connected" here includes any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Indirect electrical connection means include connection through other devices.

[0030] Figure 1 The satellite-borne laser terminal system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes an optical antenna 10, an optical antenna controller 20, an optical amplification unit 30 and an optical signal processing unit 40, wherein:

[0031] The optical antenna 10 is arranged at the edge of the cabin board on the outer surface of the satellite, and is used to receive the first optical signal from another satellite or a ground station and send the second optical signal of the satellite to another satellite or a ground station; the "other satellite" referred to here is other satellites relative to the satellite currently carried by the satellite-borne laser terminal system, and both the other satellite and the ground station are equipped with corresponding laser communication systems to interact with the satellite-borne laser terminal system described in this embodiment for optical signal exchange; the optical antenna controller 20 is arranged inside the satellite close to the optical antenna 10, and is connected to the optical antenna 10 by a cable, so as to control the optical antenna by issuing control instructions; at least An optical amplifying unit 30 is arranged in a designated temperature-controlled area 50 on the side of the internal cabin of the satellite, and communicates optical signals with the optical antenna 10 through optical fiber, so as to amplify the first optical signal received by the optical antenna 10 and amplify the second optical information to be sent and transmit it to the optical antenna 10; an optical signal processing unit 40 is arranged in the designated temperature-controlled area 50, and transmits optical signals with the optical amplifying unit 30 through optical fiber, so as to analyze and process the amplified first optical signal and transmit it to relevant equipment on the satellite, and analyze and process the information to be sent by the satellite into a second optical signal.

[0032] like Figure 5 The information flow relationship of receiving or sending data by the satellite-borne laser terminal system of this embodiment is as follows:

[0033] 1. The satellite-borne laser terminal system receives information data from other satellites or ground stations: the optical antenna 10 transmits the first optical signal received from other satellites or ground stations to the optical amplifier unit 30 via optical fiber; the optical amplifier unit 30 amplifies the first optical signal and transmits it to the optical signal processing unit 40 via optical fiber; the optical signal processing unit 40 analyzes the optical signal, converts it into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the relevant equipment on the satellite via a high-speed cable.

[0034] 2. The satellite-borne laser terminal system sends the satellite information data flow to other satellites or ground stations: the satellite transmits the relevant information to the optical signal processing unit 40 through a high-speed cable, the optical signal processing unit 40 analyzes and converts it into a second optical signal and transmits it to the optical amplification unit 30 through optical fiber, the optical amplification unit 30 amplifies the signal and transmits it to the optical antenna 10 through optical fiber, and the optical antenna 10 finally transmits the second optical signal to other satellites or ground stations.

[0035] In this embodiment, the optical antenna 10 is located on the outer surface of the satellite body to facilitate the reception and transmission of optical signals; and the optical antenna 10 is located on the edge of the cabin to minimize the influence of heat radiation from other satellite equipment on the optical antenna 10.

[0036] See also Figure 2Preferably, an optical antenna elevating structure 101 for raising the relative distance between the optical antenna 10 and the cabin board is provided between the optical antenna 10 and the cabin board, and the bottom of the optical antenna 10 is connected to an optical antenna radiator 102, and the optical antenna radiator 102 is distributed at the cabin board edge corner opposite to the optical antenna 10. By elevating the optical antenna 10 a certain distance from the cabin board, the influence of the cabin board surface on the thermal radiation of the optical antenna is reduced; at the same time, the optical antenna 10 is connected to an optical antenna radiator 102 through an optical antenna radiation heat dissipation interface, so that the heat generated by the optical antenna 10 is radiated outward by the optical antenna radiator 102, so as to meet the thermal design requirements of the optical antenna 10. The optical antenna 10 of this embodiment is fixedly connected to the optical antenna elevating structure 101, and the structural rigidity and strength of the layout position of the optical antenna 10 are stable, which can avoid the disconnection of the hard air laser communication due to jitter and structural deformation.

[0037] Since there is low-frequency signal including analog signal transmission between the optical antenna controller 20 and the optical antenna 10, the signal transmission path should be as short as possible; for this reason, the optical antenna controller 20 of this embodiment is specifically arranged on the inner surface of the cabin below the optical antenna 10, that is, the optical antenna 10 and the optical antenna controller 20 adopt a split design, and the optical antenna controller 20 is hidden inside the star body to use the star body to provide it with a good space environment such as temperature and radiation; at the same time, the optical antenna controller 20 is located close to the optical antenna 10 to reduce the length of the interconnecting low-frequency cable between the optical antenna controller 20 and the optical antenna, so as to maximize the transmission quality of analog signals. Preferably, the layout position of the optical antenna controller 20 of this embodiment has sufficient thermal interaction with the star body to ensure that the operating temperature is within the design requirements.

[0038] The optical antenna controller 20 specifically controls the unlocking, rotation and thermal control of the optical antenna by sending control instructions to the optical antenna 10 .

[0039] Furthermore, the optical amplifying unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40 are connected via a cable, so that the optical amplifying unit 30 provides power supply to the optical signal processing unit 40 and enables the telemetry and remote control data to interact with the satellite platform.

[0040] The optical amplifying unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40 can be separate structures or integrated into the same functional module; the optical amplifying unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40 are placed in the star body to use the star body to provide them with a good space environment such as temperature and radiation; Figure 3It is shown that the layout area of ​​the optical amplification unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40 is designed as an independent designated temperature control area 50, which is used to ensure the special operating temperature range of the optical amplification unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40. Optionally, the designated temperature control area 50 is an independent thermal control area, and a main control temperature control system is provided to achieve independent temperature control, and the active temperature control system includes a heating device or a cooling device. In addition, the optical amplification unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit have shock-sensitive periods, and there should be no large amount of shock response at each stage when the designated temperature control area 50 is laid out.

[0041] The designated temperature control area is located on the inner surface of the cabin board and uses the cabin board as the heat dissipation surface, that is, the designated temperature control area 50 where the optical amplifier unit 30 and the optical signal processing unit 40 are located is located at the edge of the board. On the one hand, the wide thermal board of the cabin board is fully utilized as the heat dissipation surface to reduce the occupation of the layout area in the cabin; on the other hand, the optical fiber path connecting the optical amplifier unit 30, the optical signal processing unit 40 and the optical antenna 10 is planned to be close to the edge of the cabin board, such as Figure 4 As shown, the optical fiber path 301 connecting the optical amplification unit 30, the optical signal processing unit 40 and the optical antenna 10 is arranged on the edge of the cabin board on the same side as the optical antenna 10 inside the satellite to facilitate laying, fixing and melting operations during the assembly process.

[0042] In summary, the satellite-borne laser terminal system described in the present invention includes an optical antenna, which is arranged at the edge of the cabin board on the outer surface of the satellite, and is used to receive a first optical signal from another satellite or a ground station and send a second optical signal from the satellite to another satellite or a ground station; an optical antenna controller, which is arranged inside the satellite close to the optical antenna and is connected to the optical antenna through a cable, so as to control the optical antenna by issuing control instructions; an optical amplifying unit, which is arranged in a designated temperature control area on the edge of the cabin board inside the satellite, and communicates optical signals with the optical antenna through optical fiber, so as to amplify the first optical signal received by the optical antenna and transmit the second optical information to be sent to the optical antenna after amplification; an optical signal processing unit, which is arranged in the designated temperature control area and transmits optical signals to the optical amplifying unit through optical fiber, so as to analyze and process the amplified first optical signal and transmit it to related equipment on the satellite and analyze and process the information to be sent by the satellite into a second optical signal. The layout positions of the various components of the satellite-borne laser terminal system provided by the present invention can meet the requirements of optical fiber signal transmission and control signal transmission of the satellite-borne laser terminal system; and the layout positions of the various components can meet the thermal control design requirements of each single machine of the satellite-borne laser terminal system; the thermal control and structural stability of the optical terminal layout position can meet the working requirements of the single machine; the direction of the optical fiber can meet the requirements of good laying, assembly operation and testing.

[0043] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A satellite-borne laser terminal system, characterized in that: Included are: An optical antenna, arranged at the edge of a cabin panel on the outer surface of the satellite, for receiving a first optical signal from another satellite or a ground station and sending a second optical signal of the satellite to another satellite or a ground station; An optical antenna controller is disposed inside the satellite close to the optical antenna and connected to the optical antenna through a cable, so as to control the optical antenna by issuing control instructions; an optical amplification unit, which is disposed in a designated temperature-controlled area on the side of a cabin board inside the satellite and performs optical signal communication with the optical antenna through an optical fiber, so as to amplify the first optical signal received by the optical antenna and transmit the second optical information to be sent to the optical antenna after amplifying the first optical signal; An optical signal processing unit is arranged in the designated temperature control area and transmits optical signals to the optical amplification unit through optical fiber, so as to parse and process the amplified first optical signal and transmit it to the relevant equipment on the satellite and parse and process the information to be sent by the satellite into the second optical signal.

2. The satellite-borne laser terminal system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An optical antenna raising structure for raising the relative distance between the optical antenna and the cabin board is provided between the optical antenna and the cabin board, and the bottom of the optical antenna is connected to an optical antenna radiator, and the optical antenna radiator is distributed at the edge corner of the cabin board opposite to the optical antenna.

3. The satellite-borne laser terminal system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical fiber path connecting the optical amplification unit, the optical signal processing unit and the optical antenna is arranged on the edge of the cabin board on the same side as the optical antenna inside the satellite.

4. The satellite-borne laser terminal system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The designated temperature control area is an independent thermal control area, which is provided with a main temperature control system to achieve independent temperature control, and the active temperature control system includes a heating device or a cooling device.

5. The satellite-borne laser terminal system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The designated temperature control area is located on the inner surface of the cabin board and uses the cabin board it is close to as the heat dissipation surface.

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