Optical Communications Team
The principal focus of SSI's Satellites Team is the development of an Optical Communications system and, ultimately, an OpComms satellite. For information on other satellite projects SSI members have worked on, see SSI Satellite Projects.
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Optical Communications is a student-led project that aims to develop the capability to establish high-bandwidth data links over free space. The group began work at the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic year, under the leadership of Thomas Teisberg and Logan Herrera. It was initially formed to investigate the possibility of space-based optical communications, with the intent to participate in the NASA CubeQuest Challenge, a competition for small satellite design, but has since moved away from the competition design constraints. The OpComms/Satellites Team Faculty Advisor is Dr. Simone D'Amico.
Since its inception, the Optical Communications group has evolved to focus on the establishment of long-distance optical links, with the eventual goal of integrating this technology into a CubeSat form-factor satellite for the purposes of space-based communication. In its first year of existence, the group developed a system involving mechanized altitude/azimuth mounts, an original receiver device consisting of a Fresnel lens and photodetector, and a MATLAB pointing algorithm based on reference point alignment. The group’s final test of the 2014-15 year resulted in the successful establishment of an optical lock over 10 kilometers.
The current team leads are Sasha Maldonado and Elizabeth Hillstrom.