The SMERF Infrared Beacon Project
SMERF has designed and implemented an infrared beacon system based on the extraordinary successes of ultra long distance communication systems known as FREE SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-space_optical_communication
Utilising relatively modest power infrared laser altimetry hardware mounted aboard the Mercury bound NASA spacecraft Messenger, communication has been established between the Earth and the Messenger Spacecraft over a distance of 24 million kilometers in May 2005... read more about the Messenger Spacecraft 20 watt 1064.3nm laser and design here and here with design citations / details below.
Based on previous engineering models which have achieved successful communication between Earth and outer space, we are confident that our beacon is visible many millions of kilometres from Earth.
Our beacon sends basic Morse Code and will be augmented shortly with an Infrared detector capable of receiving and decoding any inbound signals along the same axis as our emitter akin to the Messenger Spacecraft two-way IR Laser comms system.
In addition to our Laser based system, SMERF operates a high visibility infrared LED beacon system for communication within the Earth's atmosphere at altitudes commensurate with typical near field sightings and encounters.
If you have optical engineering experience and would like to be a part of the SMERF beacon development project, call SMERF on 07 55335008
For those interested in Free-space Optical Communication technologies, we have also provided (below) a paper outlining the design of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), developed for the 2009 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, primarily designed to measure the Moon’s topography via laser ranging but also capable of optical communication with Earth based stations.
Utilising relatively modest power infrared laser altimetry hardware mounted aboard the Mercury bound NASA spacecraft Messenger, communication has been established between the Earth and the Messenger Spacecraft over a distance of 24 million kilometers in May 2005... read more about the Messenger Spacecraft 20 watt 1064.3nm laser and design here and here with design citations / details below.
Based on previous engineering models which have achieved successful communication between Earth and outer space, we are confident that our beacon is visible many millions of kilometres from Earth.
Our beacon sends basic Morse Code and will be augmented shortly with an Infrared detector capable of receiving and decoding any inbound signals along the same axis as our emitter akin to the Messenger Spacecraft two-way IR Laser comms system.
In addition to our Laser based system, SMERF operates a high visibility infrared LED beacon system for communication within the Earth's atmosphere at altitudes commensurate with typical near field sightings and encounters.
If you have optical engineering experience and would like to be a part of the SMERF beacon development project, call SMERF on 07 55335008
For those interested in Free-space Optical Communication technologies, we have also provided (below) a paper outlining the design of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), developed for the 2009 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, primarily designed to measure the Moon’s topography via laser ranging but also capable of optical communication with Earth based stations.
