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Scientific balloon payloads are constrained by data downlink bandwidth. We are hosting a virtual workshop to explore implementation of data downlink based on lasers (aka lasercom). Lasercom could deliver orders of magnitude improvement in data downlink over the state-of-the-art, providing the community with a new capability that might permit the development and operation of a new class of payloads.
The virtual workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 24 and will be few hours long. It will include presentations about lasercom capabilities and constraints, and will give ample time for discussion about needs and requirements of current and future balloon payloads. Please mark your calendar. Registration by COB Monday, January 22 is required.
We are also inviting community members to fill a survey intended to gauge community data downlink needs and requirements, both current and future. If you haven't yet done so, please fill the survey. The survey should take about 10 minutes to fill.
The goal of the survey and the workshop is to guide the formation of a roadmap for potential implementation of a lasercom system suitable for balloon payloads. We would like to hear from individuals at all career levels. Even if you do not currently have a payload, please tell us about your desired data downlink capability for future missions. A summary of the survey and workshop will be produced and forwarded to NASA.
Please join us and make your voice heard in how we define the next generation data downlink capabilities for high-altitude scientific ballooning.
For Inquiries:
Eliot Young (efy303@gmail.com)
Shaul Hanany (hanany@umn.edu)
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