Laser Communications in Space

A concise volume exploring the basic fundamentals of modern laser communication systems, this book provides comprehensive information from a system designer's point of view. The book provides a thorough review of history, architectures, design methodologies, optical design guidelines, and tracking and communication processes. It explains exactly how to design a laser communication system and its potential applications.

Past, present, and future; architecture and applications; system design methodology; optical design; the communication receiver; the acquisition receiver; the tracking receiver; key technologies; configuring the system; trading RF and laser communications for your system; size, weight, and power trends in laser crosslinks; laser communications applications.