Since launch in May 2022, the TeraByte Infrared Delivery (TBIRD) payload on a 6U CubeSat has successfully demonstrated 100/200 Gbps laser communications and has transferred >1 TB in a pass from low Earth orbit to ground. To support the narrow downlink beam needed for high rate communications, the payload provides pointing feedback to the host spacecraft to precisely track the ground station throughout the 5-minute pass. This paper presents the on-orbit results of the pointing and tracking system for TBIRD, including initial acquisition and closed-loop tracking performance of 20-35 μrad RMS per axis. Results from on-orbit characterization of the transmit beam are also presented. Measurements of Tx/Rx alignment show stability within 20 μrad, ensuring that tracking on the uplink accurately points the downlink.


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    Title :

    On-orbit results of pointing, acquisition, and tracking for the TBIRD CubeSat mission



    Conference:

    Free-Space Laser Communications XXXV ; 2023 ; San Francisco,California,United States


    Published in:

    Proc. SPIE ; 12413


    Publication date :

    2023-03-15





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



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