ORELIA

ORELIA Optical feeder link for a multi-beam satellite system.

The overall objective of the study is to investigate new optical technologies and techniques that have the potential to mitigate the propagation impairments caused by atmospheric effects, with the aim of improving the performance and the reliability of high data rate optical communication links through the atmosphere.
Reliability measures will be adapted to communication feeder links between terrestrial gateways and GEO telecom satellites for applications such as future data relay and broadband access multimedia.

The proposed system shall…
… (i) provide a satisfactory link availability for the given application.
… (ii) limit turbulence-induced impairments and/or make the link robust with respect to signal fades.
… (iii)  be described accurately by the identification of the requirements of subsystems and interfaces description. The conceptual design of the link and terminals shall pave the way for development and manufacturing.

• Expected Benefits
  The expected main benefit of the study is a proof of concept for the feasibility of high-capacity optical feeder links through the atmosphere. Future broadband access missions will pose stringent requirements on the communication feeder links between gateways and telecom satellites, classically located in GEO orbit. In this context, the study should…
  … (i) present special techniques that cope with the atmospheric effects
  … (ii) make optical links an attractive alternative to microwave links.

• Work Program and Challenges
  The project is divided in the following successive tasks:
  1) Definition of the scenarios for future high-capacity feeder links, identification of the requirements.
  2) Assessment of optical technologies and techniques for reliable optical communications through the atmosphere
  3) Trade-off of assessed optical technologies and techniques
  4) System design of reliable high-capacity optical feeder links through the atmosphere

The following key issues are addressed in the project

• wavelength
• modulation of optical signal
• number and location of ground stations for cloud mitigation
• multiplexing techniques for increase of capacity
• aperture sizes of ground and space terminals
• selection of reliable components 

Partner:

Heinrich-Hertz Institut (Germany), www.hhi.fraunhofer.de
Oerlikon Space Zürich (Switzerland), www.oerlikon.com/space/