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The Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration (OCSD) project, managed by NASA with payloads built by The Aerospace Corporation, addresses two cross-cutting capabilities of value to many future small spacecraft missions: high-speed optical transmission of data and small spacecraft proximity operations. Optical data rates demonstrated by OCSD are expected to be 200 megabits per second (Mb/s) or higher, a factor of 100 increase over current high-end CubeSat communications systems. [http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ocsd_fact_sheet_21oct2015.pdf]

The Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration (OCSD) project, managed by NASA with payloads built by The Aerospace Corporation, addresses two cross-cutting capabilities of value to many future small spacecraft missions: high-speed optical transmission of data and small spacecraft proximity operations. Optical data rates demonstrated by OCSD are expected to be 200 megabits per second (Mb/s) or higher, a factor of 100 increase over current high-end CubeSat communications systems. [http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ocsd_fact_sheet_21oct2015.pdf]

The optical communications system on OCSD differs from other space-based laser communication systems because the laser is hard-mounted to the spacecraft body. The beam is pointed by controlling the orientation of the entire spacecraft. This makes the laser system much more compact than anything previously flown in space. The attitude control system developed for these satellites includes a pair of miniature star trackers, devices that measure the position of stars for navigational purposes. These star trackers were designed to enable pointing to an accuracy of 0.05 degrees, which is 20 times the precision previously demonstrated in a satellite of this size.  

The optical communications system on OCSD differs from other space-based laser communication systems because the laser is hard-mounted to the spacecraft body. The beam is pointed by controlling the orientation of the entire spacecraft. This makes the laser system much more compact than anything previously flown in space. The attitude control system developed for these satellites includes a pair of miniature star trackers, devices that measure the position of stars for navigational purposes. These star trackers were designed to enable pointing to an accuracy of 0.05 degrees, which is 20 times the precision previously demonstrated in a satellite of this size. See [http://spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-nrol-55/ocsd-a/ here] for a detailed overview of the OCSD satellites' system specifications.

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