Nasas earth science technology office has funded a phase III effort for fibertek to develop an engineering version of a UV laser suitable for future spacebased remote sensing measurements with a…

NASA's Earth Science Technology Office awarded Fibertek, Inc., a small business manufacturer of advanced photonics systems based in Herndon, Virginia, a Phase III Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract valued at $4.6 million to advance the development of an engineering-grade ultraviolet laser system for future space-based remote sensing missions. Under this Firm Fixed Price definitive contract, awarded September 29, 2017, with completion targeted for July 30, 2025, Fibertek will conduct analysis and testing to verify that current diode pump technology can sustain the desired 14 billion shot laser system lifetime—a tenfold increase over previously demonstrated space mission capabilities. The work leverages prior Phase I and II STTR efforts, particularly the recently completed Phase I contract for an ultra-compact transmitter for space-based lidar, and focuses on developing a comprehensive model of the high-energy ultraviolet laser (HEUVD) to quantify the impact of diode decay on 532-nanometer and 355-nanometer laser outputs.

The contract aims to advance the laser system to Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6), with the laser having already demonstrated required performance metrics through extensive lifetime testing at full and reduced energy levels. Critical work includes detailed analysis and verification testing of pump diode derating strategies to achieve the aggressive 14 billion shot lifetime requirement, which represents a significant advancement over current space-qualified laser technologies. This set-aside award for small businesses supports NASA's Earth Science mission by maturing critical optical and laser technologies essential for advancing remote sensing measurement capabilities in future orbital platforms.

Nasas earth science technology office has funded a phase III effort for fibertek to develop an engineering version of a UV laser suitable for future spacebased remote sensing measurements with a goal of advancing the laser system to TRL 6. The laser has been built and shown to meet the required performance metrics. Lifetime testing at full energy at 532 NM 125 MJ pulse at both 532 NM and 1064 NM, 1.2 billion shots and half power at 355 NM 50 MJ pulse at 355 NM but still 250 MJ pulse total energy, 1.5 billion shots has demonstrated the required optical component lifetime, but has surfaced the need for a better understanding of proper pump diode derating to meet the desired 14 billion shot laser system lifetime a factor of 10 higher than pervious missions demonstrated technologies. This phase III effort looks to perform analysis and prepare for testing to verify that current diode pump technology can support the>14 billion shot lifetime for the heuvd laser. A more complete model of the heuvd laser is also sought to better quantify the impact of diode decay on the 532 NM and 355 NM laser outputs. Phase III goals will be achieved by leveraging previous work from both phase I and II sttrs and sbirs. The primary sttr that is being leveraged, and that which we look to link this phase III contract to is the recently completed phase I sttr ultra-compact transmitter for space based lidar contract NNX16CL43P. A key development for extending the technology from this program into future space based missions is an improved quantitative understanding of how to DE rate pump diodes in order to achieve lifetimes 14 billion shots.