Airbus Defence and Space Sas

Matra

Bernard Laurent

Andre Malherbe

Jean-Luc Perbos

Bernard Geenen

Jean Lorsignol

Jean Charlier

Disclosed is a satellite telecommunications system including at least one satellite in terrestrial orbit, referred to as optical gateway satellite, having a payload, the payload including a communication module, referred to as user module, capable of exchanging data with at least one terrestrial user terminal, and further including a communication module, referred to as gateway module, capable of exchanging data in the form of optical signals with at least one terrestrial optical gateway station. Also disclosed is a method for controlling such a satellite telecommunications system.

Satellite telecommunications system comprising an optical gateway link and a radio gateway link, and control method

A transmitter for multiplexing three optical channels at different wavelengths has (a) first, second and third laser diode means delivering linearly polarized optical beams at respective wavelengths .lambda.2, .lambda.3 and .lambda.4 which are mutually different; (b) an assembly located in the path of the light of wavelength .lambda.2 emitted by said first diode means and including a plate which is substantially quarter-wave for the wavelength (2 .lambda.2-.lambda.4), a filter having a band pass centered on wavelength .lambda.2, a plate quarter-wave which is substantially for wavelength .lambda.4 and a polarizer, the first diode means being oriented so that its beam is transmitted by the polarizer. A first light beam combiner directs light from said third diode means onto the polarizer along a direction of 90.degree. from the direction of the beam of wavelength .lambda.2 and with the same polarization direction, so that the beam of wavelength .lambda.4 is reflected towards said filter. A second combiner directs the light from said second diode, having wavelength .lambda.3 intermediate between .lambda.2 and .lambda.4, onto the polarizer in a direction opposite to that of the light beam of wavelength .lambda.4 and with a polarization of the same direction, so that the light of wavelength .lambda.3 is reflected along a path coaxial with the output path of the light having wavelength .lambda.2 and .lambda.4. More than three channels may be combined.

Optical data transmission with frequency multiplexing

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Toulouse, France

Bernard Laurent