ABSTRACT
Globally, the Internet traffic supported by wireline and wireless communications exceeds multi-zettabyte of data level. By 2020, this figure is projected to reach nearly two orders of magnitude greater than the global Internet traffic in 2005. Due to the explosive growth in the level of information that will be communicated globally, future spacecraft will require radical changes in the way that data are moved around. Since the early days of laser development, both terrestrial and space lasercom systems have been under development in the United States, Europe and Japan. Precise laser beam pointing, on the order of a few microradians, stemming from laser’s narrow beamwidth is a major design driver for laser communications transceivers. Sources of platform vibrations include reaction wheels, thruster firings, engaged motors, momentum dumping, solar panel actuation, target acquisition slewing and thermal gradients due to sun exposure that affects the opto-mechanical assembly.
