Galileo Optical Experiment (GOPEX) Optical Train: Design and Validation at the Table Mountain Facility

J Yu; M Shao

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NASA NTRS · 19940009917

Galileo Optical Experiment (GOPEX) Optical Train: Design and Validation at the Table Mountain Facility

J Yu·M Shao

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Abstract

The Galileo Optical Experiment (GOPEX) has demonstrated the first laser communications uplink to a deep space vehicle. This article describes the optical design and validation tests performed at the Table Mountain Facility (TMF) transmitter site. The system used a 0.6-m telescope and an optical system at coude focus to produce the uplink beam. The optical system used a pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:Yag) laser and beam diverger optics to produce the required optical output. In order to validate the optical design, a number of uplinks were performed on Earth-orbiting satellites (e.g., Lageos 1 and 2).

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J Yu, M Shao. 1993-08-15. Galileo Optical Experiment (GOPEX) Optical Train: Design and Validation at the Table Mountain Facility. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19940009917

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