Suzzanne Falvey (Northrop Grumman), Marisol Buelow (Northrop Grumman), Dr. Burke Nelson (Northrop Grumman), Yuji Starcher (Northrop Grumman), Lee Thienel (Jackson and Tull), Dr. Charley Rhodes (Jackson and Tull), Major Thomas Drape (Air Force Research Laboratory), Lieutenant Caleb Westfall (Air Force Research Laboratory)
Keywords: Lasers
Abstract:
A test protocol for the space qualifying of Ytterbium-doped diode-pumped fiber laser (DPFL) components was developed under the Bright Light effort, sponsored by AFRL/VSE. A literature search was performed and summarized in an AMOS 2005 conference paper that formed the building blocks for the development of the test protocol. The test protocol was developed from the experience of the Bright Light team, the information in the literature search, and the results of a study of the Telcordia standards.
Based on this protocol developed, test procedures and acceptance criteria for a series of vibration, thermal/vacuum, and radiation exposure tests were developed for selected fiber laser components. Northrop Grumman led the effort in vibration and thermal testing of these components at the Aerospace Engineering Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base, NM. The results of the tests conducted have been evaluated. This paper discusses the vibration and thermal testing that was executed to validate the test protocol. The lessons learned will aid in future assessments and definition of space qualification protocols.
Components representative of major items within a Ytterbium-doped diode-pumped fiber laser were selected for testing; including fibers, isolators, combiners, fiber Bragg gratings, and laser diodes. Selection of the components was based on guidelines to test multiple models of typical fiber laser components. A goal of the effort was to test two models (i.e. different manufacturers) of each type of article selected, representing different technologies for the same type of device. The test articles did not include subsystems or systems. These components and parts may not be available commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), and, in fact, many are custom articles, or newly developed by the manufacturer.
The primary goal for this effort is a completed taxonomy that lists all relevant laser components, modules, subsystems, and interfaces, and cites the documentation for space qualification of each of these all the way to the system level. As a result of the current effort, a validated protocol was developed for the space qualification of DPFLs, where validation via selected tests was mostly limited to the component level. It was the mission of this effort to validate selected aspects of the protocol with the limited set of tests proposed. The results of the environmental testing as well as lessons learned for space qualification of DPFL components are presented in this paper.
Date of Conference: September 10-14, 2006
Track: Lasers