Abstract

We discuss the properties and evaluation of individually addressable ten- and nine-element linear semiconductor diode laser arrays, a twin semiconductor diode laser array, and a single-element semiconductor diode laser for the space optical disk recorder (SODR). High performance, highly stable, and long-life semiconductor diode lasers are important to the development and demonstration of the SODR which will provide NASA with a high-speed high-capacity recorder. A variety of sensor data recording uses such as the Earth Observing Satellite, data relay and communications such as for advanced transfer and data relay satellites, Mars Rover data relay, Space Station Freedom data and communications, and many other high-speed high-capacity data recording and transfer applications will be solved with the SODR.

© 1992 Optical Society of America