Athens, Greece--Recent Gooch & Housego (G&H; Ilminster, England) acquisition Constelex Technology Enablers announced its participation in new European Union R&D projects and European Space Agency (ESA) space photonics contracts. The programs will focus on design and development of photonic components and sub-systems for satellite laser communications.
Constelex is coordinating project MERLIN (see http://www.space-merlin.eu/) that aims to design and fabricate high-speed digital transceivers for intra-satellite links enabling next-generation "photonics-enabled" broadband satellites. Constelex is involved in the system design and experimental performance evaluation of MERLIN optical links and is responsible for commercializing the MERLIN transceivers.
Constelex will also participate in the newly launched project HIPPO (see http://www.fp7-hippo.eu/) that focuses on developing high-power photonic components and modules for satellite laser communications. Through an all-industrial team, the project will deliver a new family of photonic products, including lasers, receivers, specialty optical fibers, and optical amplifier modules that find application in high-speed satellite-to-satellite communications. Constelex is responsible for designing and developing space-compatible high-power optical fiber amplifier modules.
Complementing the above R&D activities, Constelex is currently developing optical fiber amplifier products in collaboration with the European Space Agency within the ARTES 5.2 and ECI initiatives. The new family of optical amplifiers currently under development finds application in satellite laser communications and more specifically in high-speed and energy efficient satellite-to-ground and inter-satellite links.
For more information on either MERLIN or HIPPO please contact Leontios Stampoulidis; [email protected].
SOURCE: Constelex; http://www.constelex.eu/index.php/press-releases/48-space-photonics-rad-in-satellite-communications