The Aerospace Corporation

Renny Arthur Fields

David A Hinkley

Todd S Rose

James S Swenson, Jr

Christopher George Tarsitano

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for improving the visibility and identification of satellites using light emitting diodes. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for improving the visibility of satellites. The method can include attaching one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) to a satellite, supplying one or more signals to the one or more LEDs, and producing light emission having a unique identifier from the one or more LEDs based at least in part on the one or more signals.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for improving the visibility and identification of satellites using light emitting diodes

The invention is a solid state laser resonator or amplifier which employs a longitudinal pumping scheme that provides efficient coupling of greater than 90 percent from the output of one or more high power diode bar arrays. The pumping scheme involves the use of monolithic microlens arrays that match the geometry of the laser diode bar arrays in a one to one manner. The output of each element in the diode bar is collimated by a single microlens in the array. The resultant array of collimated light beams is then configured to overlap by a second macroscopic lens, resulting in a single uniform spot within the laser gain medium. The resultant spot is also configured to overlap with the TEM.sub.00 mode of the laser resonator so that efficient lasing action may occur. Overlapping the pump spot and the laser mode may be interpreted as having the pump spot size be less than or equal to the laser mode size so that all the pump light is absorbed within the mode of the laser.

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El Segundo, CA, United States of America

Renny Arthur Fields