Acquisition time calculation and influence of vibrations for micro satellite laser communication in space

The first step in creating an optical link between two LEO satellites is acquisition. In this process one of the satellites finds the maximal power of a received beam and locks on to it. This starts the tracking. In this paper we examine the time needed to finish the acquisition process and start tracking. The parameters included are the distribution function of satellite position, the size of the uncertainty area, the number of possible satellite positions, and the detection ability of a CCD. A model for the distribution function of position is given for two types of distribution: Gaussian and Uniform. Also considered the vibrations that come from internal systems of satellite, and from external sources. The characteristics of the vibrations are considered and their influence on the scanning pattern that can deviate from the original path. A method of filtering the vibrations and compensating for them is suggested. The pointing system must be updated continuously from the star tracker with internal calculations of position, speed, velocity and vibrations characteristics. Examined also are several scanning methods: raster, spiral, Lissajo, Rose. Each method has it own possibilities and advantages, which are compared.