Space optical communication system with a sub-second acquisition time.

Acquisition is the key technology in space laser communication and the nodus in communication-link establishment. Traditional laser communication demands too long an acquisition time to meet the requirements of a space optical communication network and real-time transmission of big data. One novel laser communication system which fuses a laser communication function with a star-sensitive function to achieve precise autonomous calibration of the open-loop pointing direction of line of sight (LOS) is proposed and developed. Theoretical analysis and field experiments proved that the novel, to the best of our knowledge, laser-communication system can achieve sub-second-level scanless acquisition.