1550 nm eye-safe wavelength watt-level laser transmitter for space communication and lidar (Conference Presentation)

A master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) based 1550 nm wavelength fiber laser transmitter has been developed for Space-to-Earth communication application, utilizing Telcordia rated 1550 nm seed laser, pump lasers, and fiber optics. With adequate pre-screening of electrical components, the fiber laser transmitter has been in operation since its original launch in April 2014, for 30 months. This presents as a relatively cost-effective route for low-earth-orbit optical communication as well as LIDAR applications.