Questions tagged [laser]
Questions regarding devices which emit focused beams of electromagnetic energy.
64
questions
2
votes
1
answer
278
views
What exactly is a "Next Generation Lunar Reflector"? Difference in design and performance?
Space.com's 50 Years After Apollo, India Is Carrying a NASA Laser Reflector to the Moon (And It's Only the Start) is a little confusing because it talks about three retroreflectors:
- Apollo era ...
5
votes
2
answers
229
views
Is it feasible for a future Rosetta type mission to use wireless transfer of power to Philae?
While listening to the latest updates it seems like there is a limited 60 hour battery capacity left for Philae. There seems to be some information on the web on wireless power transfer using lasers.
...
11
votes
3
answers
602
views
Is it possible to extend high speed data transmission with lasers to the distance Earth to Mars?
Data transmission using an optical laser between ground station and a GEO satellite may offer very high data rates, up to 1.8 GBit/s for instance.
But what about a transmission from Earth to Mars ...
7
votes
2
answers
157
views
Would a laser seismometer work from lunar orbit?
Lasers today have become extremely sensible, they can detect sub-millimeter movements of a surface from a distance. Could this feature be exploited to create a lunar seismometer working from a probe ...
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How do the interferometers on the drag-free satellite LISA receive power without altering their geodesic trajectory?
LISA is a proposed space probe designed to measure gravitational waves. It aims to measure gravitational waves directly by using laser interferometry. It uses a drag-free satellite design to protect ...
5
votes
1
answer
318
views
Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) - from what distance could a flashlight be detected by a space-based telescope
Flight laser transmitter - for Psyche mission has Mass 29 kg (100 W).
It also requires pointing up to 3 degrees of the Sun (towards the receiver telescope).
My question is about really small probes (...
5
votes
1
answer
445
views
How many (presumably friendly) lasers are being shot at us from space? (pew! pew!)
Example: at first they could not decide which of the green laser-shooting satellites was responsible! Too many to choose from?
See Science Alert's February 9, 2023, Ominous Green Lasers Shot Over ...
4
votes
2
answers
503
views
What are the reasons for the specific operating wavelengths chosen for laser communication?
I am reading the book: Kaushal, H., Jain, V.K. and Kar, S., 2017, Free space optical communication, New Delhi: Springer India.
The operating wavelengths for beacon and data transmission were discussed....
0
votes
1
answer
117
views
Achieving relativistic speeds with the use of lasers
Basic data about our spacecraft:
Basically, were using a laser as an engine.
Mass: 1000 tons.
Electrical power for the laser: 10 GW.
Efficiency of the laser(s) : 50%.
So first I calculated the ...
4
votes
1
answer
215
views
Could a laser ablation-based propulsion system really accelerate an object to 0.001 c?
Comments below this answer suggest that a laser ablation-based propulsion system, where the laser is separate from the object to be accelerated, could accelerate an object to about $\frac{1}{1000}$ of ...
2
votes
1
answer
253
views
Has anyone in space beyond LEO seen or has anything photographed a non-pointer laser from Earth?
The two current answers to Has anyone in space seen or photographed a simple laser pointer from Earth? both describe small, low power lasers from Earth aimed towards the ISS in LEO.
Here I'd like to ...
1
vote
1
answer
478
views
Receiver and transmitter in RF/optic satellite communication: distance vs data rate v2
The first version of this question is here.
I have read the article "Optical communications work best over relatively short distances in space." by Toyoshima, M., Leeb, W., Kunimori, H. and ...
3
votes
1
answer
131
views
Precise Orbit Determination (POD) vs GNSS accuracy; seeking references
Precise orbit determination provides performances that are not currently achievable with GNSS systems. I cannot find information of the reason for this. I imagine different possibilities:
Use of ...
9
votes
1
answer
471
views
Why is the Aeolus space laser losing power so quickly?
The BBC News article Aeolus: Wind-mapping space laser is losing power says that
Europe's Aeolus satellite was launched last year to gather data to improve weather forecasts, and its observations have ...
2
votes
1
answer
139
views
Transmit power for low/high wavelength [closed]
I am reading the book: Kaushal, H., Jain, V.K. and Kar, S., 2017. Free space optical communication. New Delhi: Springer India.
I have asked before about a reason of choice of wavelength for beacon ...