10-Dec-2012-cesg-1

SLS AREA REPORT

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (1 of 6)Status Comment

Progress Good Progress overall, especially on the Green Book for Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric Data

Schedule The schedule for the Blue Books were adjusted to match the current productivity of the working group

It was reported in the spring that the Working Group thought the original schedules were too optimistic. However, ESA/DLR input delivered.

NASA position for a Single Recommendation for High Data Rate systems

NASA has stated that the current plans for the Blue Books are unacceptable

ESA/DLR considers this a change from previous agreement

10-Dec-2012-cesg-2

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (2 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

Summary of Progress:• Reached an agreement that the comments on the first draft of the Green Book on

Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric Data are due on 8 January 2015. The team working on the Green Book will then disposition the comments and report on the dispositions at a monthly telecon before releasing the second draft at the Spring 2015 CCSDS Technical Meeting.

• Dirk Giggenbach (DLR/IKN) has agreed to be the “leader” in developing the Low Complexity On-Off Keying proposal for the Blue Books.

• The Working Group agrees that each interleaver should be categorized by either the name “coding interleaver” or “channel interleaver”. The working group agrees that we should adopt a common nomenclature for “data rate” based on figure 2-1 of the CCSDS Green Book “Bandwidth Efficient Modulations”.• NASA accepted an action item to propose an update to figure 2-1 to clearly

illustrate the nomenclature to be adopted for Pulse Position Modulation• The new schedules for the two Blue Books and two Green Books have the

following dates for submission to the Area Director for approval:• Green Book on Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric Data: 30 November

2015• All other approved books: 28 February 2016

10-Dec-2012-cesg-3

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (3 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

NASA Issue (chart 1 of 2):

BACKGROUND on NASA Issue (issue stated on next chart): The current organization of the Blue Books is as follows:

Within each book, there would be three “sections” with possible options within the sections:

(1) High Data Ratea. Option 1: ESA / DLR proposalb. Option 2: NASA proposal

(2) High Photon Efficiency(3) Low Implementation Complexity

The corresponding Green Book will be formatted similarly

10-Dec-2012-cesg-4

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (4 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

NASA Issue (chart 2 of 2):• NASA has stated that there should be a single “CCSDS recommendation ” for High

Data Rate.• Not an ESA / DLR recommendation and separate a NASA recommendation• The recommendation should support space-to-space, space-to-air, and space-

to-ground links • NASA also stated that NASA is willing to make changes to the NASA proposal

based on technical merit so that it can become the single CCSDS recommendation.• NASA also stated that it is acceptable to release the Blue Books as planned but

without the High Data Rate section.• Another option is to release a Blue Book just for High Photon Efficiency and a

separate Blue Book just for Low Implementation Complexity while this issue is worked.

• NASA indicated that the current High Data Rate proposals could be released as official CCSDS Orange Books if consensus cannot be met

10-Dec-2012-cesg-5

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (5 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

ESA/DLR Position on NASA’s Position:• ESA/DLR is surprised about the new NASA position, which is considered a major

deviation from the previous agreements (IOAG, IOP-3, and CCSDS)• ESA/DLR would like to stick with the Blue Book layering structure as agreed in the

charter.• ESA/DLR would like to create a first set of recommendations encompassing all

three regimes.• ESA/DLR is prepared to accept two options for the high data rate regime.

CNES Position on Blue Books:

• Ideally, CNES would like a single worldwide interoperable high rate recommendation that supports the LEO-to-Earth scenario, among other scenarios.

10-Dec-2012-cesg-6

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (6 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

Immediate Plans:• The Optical Communications Working Group holds monthly video

teleconference meetings• Some of the topics to be discussed in upcoming telecons:

• Report from the Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric Data Team on what comments were received

• NASA’s technical concerns concerning the ESA / DLR proposal for a High Data Rate recommendation

• Status update on SOTA results after there are clear skies in Tokyo• NASA presentation on its Blue Book material for a High Data Rate

recommendation• NASA presentation on its Blue Book material for a High Photon Efficiency

recommendation• DLR/IKN presentation on its Blue Book material for a Low Complexity On-

Off Keying recommendation

Planning for Spring 2015 Face-to-Face Meeting:• Review of the two proposed Draft 1 Blue Books

10-Dec-2012-cesg-7

SLS-OPT: Optical Communications Working Group (6 of 6)

SLS AREA REPORT

BACKUP CHARTS

10-Dec-2012-cesg-8

SLS AREA REPORT

Planning:• The following books have been started:

• Blue Book for Optical Communications Physical Layer• Blue Book for Optical Communications Coding & Synchronization• Green Book for Optical communications Concepts and Terminologies• Green Book for Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric Characterization Data

• Other planned books are• Green Book for Optical Communications Physical Layer• Green Book for Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization• Blue or Magenta Book(s) for Real-Time Weather and Atmospheric

Characterization Data

10-Dec-2012-cesg-9

SLS AREA REPORT

From Optical Communications Working Group Spring Report

Sentinel 1A

Photo: TAS-I/ ESA

EDRS

Photo: ESA

ESA and DLR Proposal for High Photon Flux:• Base the standard on the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) Laser

Communication Terminal• User data rate at 1.8 Gbps• EDRS data relay service (EDRS-A, EDRS-C,…) will be operational in orbit for 20

plus years from 2015• Preoperational tests with LCT on Alphasat since launch (July 2013)• Initial EDRS LEO users: Sentinel 1&2 series (A,B,C,D…) of Copernicus (EU- earth

observation satellite prog.)• Sentinel 1A launched in April 2014