The increasing need of faster data transmission is leading to the spread of optical technologies as the future of space high-speed communication; the potential of this branch of telecommunication is not fully developed, bringing with it both big challenges and great rewards. The purpose of this thesis, developed in the frame of the "Very High Throughput Satellite" project at the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt, is to investigate the Geostationary (GEO) radiation environment and its effect on optical and electronic COTS devices, as long as consequences on the overall system performance for a free-space optical communication payload. In the first part, an overview of environmental conditions is reported, together with the main models and software exploited in the analysis. Then, a deeper study on system components is carried, with a specific attention on radiation drawbacks on those more susceptible to the harsh context of the mission: here the main focus is given to Total Ionization Dose (TID) effects, having a major relevance and being those for which more data and models are available. In different components the spotlight is not only on possible issues due to the interaction with particles but also on consequences on the overall communication system, with a consequent deterioration of the optical link. As a conclusion, a Python model is developed in order to simulate the cumulative effect of radiation conditions on the payload for a hypothetical 15 years mission; results show various levels of consequences for different devices, with differences also among electrical and optical apparatuses. The system’s response itself is investigated by considering the variation of the overall Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Moreover, tests are performed to gather data for different shielding thicknesses and exposure time for a more complete analysis.
La crescente richiesta di trasmissioni dati sempre più veloci sta portando alla diffusione di nuovi sistemi per comunicazioni spaziali ultra-rapide, sfruttando in particolare nuove tecnologie ottiche; il potenziale ancora inespresso di questa branca delle telecomunicazioni porta con sé grandi sfide, ma allo stesso tempo la promessa di grandi traguardi. L’obiettivo di questa tesi, sviluppata come parte del progetto "Very High Throughput Satellite" dell’Agenzia Spaziale Tedesca (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt), è quello di studiare l’ambiente radiativo in orbita Geostazionaria, oltre che agli effetti di quest’ultimo su componenti ottici ed elettronici presenti sul mercato. Partendo da quest’ultimi viene poi riportata l’analisi delle conseguenze sull’intero sistema di comunicazione ottico in cui tali elementi sono inseriti. Nella prima parte è riportata una panoramica dell’ambiente spaziale e della missione, assieme ai principali modelli e software utilizzati nell’analisi. Proseguendo viene attuato uno studio mirato sui componenti di sistema, con un focus particolare sugli elementi più suscettibili alle radiazioni presenti nel contesto sotto esame: qui l’aspetto cardine è svolto dagli effetti dovuti alla Total Ionization Dose (TID), sia a causa delle ripercussioni che essa ha sull’intero sistema, sia per la maggior disponibilità di dati e modelli. Per i diversi componenti l’attenzione non è posta solamente sui possibili problemi generati dall’interazione con le particelle, ma anche sulle conseguenze per l’intero sistema di comunicazione con un conseguente deterioramento del link ottico. In conclusione, un modello Python è sviluppato con lo scopo di simulare l’effetto cumulativo delle radiazioni spaziali sul sistema per una missione ipotetica di 15 anni. I risultati mostrano come la risposta di diversi device può essere sostanzialmente diversa, con differenze anche fra apparati ottici ed elettronici; la reazione del sistema stesso è inoltre esaminata mediante lo studio del Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) globale. In aggiunta, per meglio caratterizzare i risultati, test multipli sono svolti per diversi spessori di schermatura e differenti durate della missione.
Radiation environment analysis and effects on optical communication payload for GEO satellite
SONCINI, FRANCESCO
2021/2022
Abstract
The increasing need of faster data transmission is leading to the spread of optical technologies as the future of space high-speed communication; the potential of this branch of telecommunication is not fully developed, bringing with it both big challenges and great rewards. The purpose of this thesis, developed in the frame of the "Very High Throughput Satellite" project at the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt, is to investigate the Geostationary (GEO) radiation environment and its effect on optical and electronic COTS devices, as long as consequences on the overall system performance for a free-space optical communication payload. In the first part, an overview of environmental conditions is reported, together with the main models and software exploited in the analysis. Then, a deeper study on system components is carried, with a specific attention on radiation drawbacks on those more susceptible to the harsh context of the mission: here the main focus is given to Total Ionization Dose (TID) effects, having a major relevance and being those for which more data and models are available. In different components the spotlight is not only on possible issues due to the interaction with particles but also on consequences on the overall communication system, with a consequent deterioration of the optical link. As a conclusion, a Python model is developed in order to simulate the cumulative effect of radiation conditions on the payload for a hypothetical 15 years mission; results show various levels of consequences for different devices, with differences also among electrical and optical apparatuses. The system’s response itself is investigated by considering the variation of the overall Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Moreover, tests are performed to gather data for different shielding thicknesses and exposure time for a more complete analysis.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/189032