Intersatellite optical communication performance analyzing

Satellite communications systems play an important role in many areas such as telecommunication, remote sensing, navigation and scientific applications in addition to military applications. With the developing technology, it is necessary to communicate at higher data rates depending on the increase in the amount of data used in these applications. RF (Radio Frequency)communication systems are inadequate to meet this need due to limitations imposed by the technology they have. Therefore, research, development, testing and experimentation studies have gained speed on optical communication systems providing communication at higher data rates since 2000. In addition to higher data rates compared to RF communication systems, optical communication systems have smaller dimension, low weight and less power required communication terminals and also offer minimum signal attenuation, minimum delay and efficiently using of frequency spectrum. In this study, the communication elements used in the transmitter and the receiver systems of intersatellite optical communication are examined in detail. Optical wireless communication channel parameters are determined and an intersatellite optical communication system is designed according to these parameters. LEO, MEO and GEO satellite constellations are designed and scenarios between the satellites in the same and different orbits are simulated by using the OptiSystem 7 program. The performances of communication systems for different transmitter powers, optical antenna apertures and link distances between different satellites have been analyzed. The maximum data rates that can be achieved for optical communication systems are determined with these analyses. Theoretical calculations and simulation results are perfectly matched.