Laser beacon adaptive optics for power beaming applications
- Air Force Phillips Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (United States). Starfire Optical Range
This paper discusses the laser beam control system requirements for power beaming applications. Power beaming applications include electric and thermal engine propulsion for orbit transfer, station changing, and recharging batteries. Beam control includes satellite acquisition, high accuracy tracking, higher order atmospheric compensation using adaptive optics, and precision point-ahead. Beam control may also include local laser beam clean-up with a low order adaptive optics system. This paper also presents results of tracking and higher-order correction experiments on astronomical objects. The results were obtained with a laser beacon adaptive optics system at Phillips Laboratory`s Starfire Optical Range near Albuquerque, NM. At a wavelength of 0.85 {mu}m, the author has achieved Strehl ratios of {approximately}0.50 using laser beacons and {approximately}0.65 using natural stars for exposures longer than one minute on objects of {approximately}8{sup th} magnitude. The resulting point spread function has a full width half maximum (FWHM) of 0.13 arcsec.
- OSTI ID:
- 51875
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940142-; ISBN 0-8194-1414-X; TRN: IM9524%%345
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: OE/LASE `94: conference on optics, electro-optics, and laser applications in science and engineering, Los Angeles, CA (United States), 22-29 Jan 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Laser power beaming. SPIE Volume 2121; Walker, J.V.; Montgomery, E.E. IV [eds.]; PB: 318 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Sodium guide star adaptive optics system for astronomical imaging in the visible and near-infrared
Sodium guide star adaptive optics system for astronomical imaging in the visible and near-infrared