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Space

Innovation in photonics for aerospace applications

aerospace applications

Lumibird and space : a long history and a high level of expertise

Lumibird has a strong expertise with space applications involving a wide range of products : laser diodes, solid-state lasers, fiber lasers & amplifiers.

Since 1999, the group has contributed to several international space programs directed by ESA, CNES, NASA, JAXA and other major players in this field of applications.

Our know-how includes the electronic, mechanical and optical design, along with the manufacturing and  qualification of laser components and lasers/amplifiers using Lumibird design and test systems. Critical components such as laser diodes, photodiodes, signal/pump combiners and FBGs are manufactured internally ensuring full control of the entire process and offering unique solutions to our customers.

To meet the challenging requirements of your space programs, Lumibird dedicates a multidisciplinary highly skilled team that relies on both our experience and our capacity for technological innovation.

Examples of applications

Satellite constellation (OISL)

Lumibird offers different models of Erbium and Erbium/Ytterbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers for constellation projects :

  • High Power Amplifiers (HPA) for boosting the transmitter signal to high output power, up to 10 W, with excellent optical signal to noise ratio.
  • Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) delivering high gain up to 60 dB with very low noise figure allowing the amplification of weak optical signals in front of the receiver.
  • Dual amplifier solutions, combining one HPA and one LNA in the same package, for mass and cost optimization.

Various amplifier models have been designed for LEO, MEO or GEO applications with different levels of TID and mission duration: TID from 10 Krad to 100 Krad and mission duration up to 12 years.

The amplifiers can be included as optical gain blocks (no electronics) or as OEM with full control electronics. The OEM models integrate Rad Tolerant or Rad Hard electronics depending on the mission. Modules compatible with the Cubesat form factor can also be proposed.

The products are ruggedized to survive launch conditions (shocks and vibrations).

Selected components have been qualified under radiation, vacuum, and wide temperature range.

Optical ground station (OGS)

Lumibird proposes High Power Amplifiers and Lasers delivering an output power up to 40 W for Uplink transmission.

Our fiber solutions offer a very good beam quality for optimized earth to satellite transmission. The amplifiers are designed for operation with high bit rate signals for data transmission, as well as with low frequency signals for beacon application.

Lasers including seeders and MZM modulators also proposed.

Our models are available with random or linear polarization.

Coherent and Time-of-Flight LiDAR

Lumibird offers Pulsed Fiber Lasers suitable for Time-of-Flight LiDAR applications, such as ranging, docking, landing and debris detection. Other laser models are appropriate for coherent LiDAR applications such as environmental monitoring (gas detection).

Over the past decade, many different space missions have benefited from the inclusion of ruggedized 1.5 µ and 1.0 µm lasers provided by Lumibird.

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