FY 12 Optical Fiber Standards Continuation Optoelectronics Description

FY 12 Optical Fiber Standards (Continuation - Optoelectronics) Description: Participation in JEDEC and SAE standards groups for developing a fiber optic spaceflight standards document will continue in FY 12. These standards will allow fiber optic vendors to manufacture and test relevant assemblies to enable future NASA and outside missions utilizing fiber optics. Participate in coordination of military standard on fiber optic components for spaceflight. FY 12 Plans: • Continue collaboration with ESA/CNES/AFRL/JEDEC to formulate, lead and provide guidance with drafting standards for space flight photonic/fiber optic technologies. Participation in JEDEC and SAE standards groups. • Consulting with spaceflight vendors on evaluation methods and procedures for emerging optoelectronic components. Drafting and leadership of JEDEC 13. 6 and SAE subcommittees on space/avionics standards. SAE is responsible for drafting the standard on connectors and cables. JEDEC provides coordination for that standard as well as drafting standard on passive and active devices. Schedule Deliverables: 1. 2. Lead Center/PI: Melanie N. Ott Co-Is: William Joe Thomes Center Funding: GSFC JEDEC participation toward standards. Information provided to any vendors will be available to all other vendors of similar components.

FY 12 Optical Fiber Cables (Continuation - Optoelectronics) Description: W. L. Gore, the only remaining spaceflight fiber optic cable vendor, has announced that they will no longer manufacture fiber optic cable. Replacement fiber optic cable from other vendors must be evaluated to enable future NASA missions. Thermally-induced changes in optical transmission of the fiber cable must be 1% or less for most NASA missions that rely on photon counting or polarization. Other vendors provide fiber optic jacketing for military use, but none of these cables has been evaluated to ensure that it meets basis requirements for spaceflight use, such as outgassing, thermal stability, etc. The majority of fiber optic use in other aerospace/military is smaller core fiber. NASA missions use these types of fibers for applications like optical comm. , but require larger core and specialty fibers for applications such as LIDAR, science instruments, and onboard calibration. These require fiber cables with excellent thermal stability and optical performance. Standard COTS fiber optic cables cannot meet these requirements. Schedule: FY 12 Plans: • Evaluate replacement fiber optic cables for spaceflight use since no commercially available spaceflight vendors remain. ‒ Work with military/aerospace vendors to obtain samples of fiber optic cables believed to have the correct materials and specifications ‒ Perform incoming inspection and preconditioning of candidate fibers, measure shrinkage of jacket during preconditioning ‒ Evaluate cables ability to be terminated to spaceflight approved fiber optic connectors – all fibers used in study will be terminated at GSFC to remove this variable from evaluation ‒ Perform thermal cycling (100+ cycles) tests with in-situ monitoring to evaluate fiber optic cables’ optical stability during thermal swings, long term performance and possible degradation mechanisms Deliverables: 1. 2. Lead Center/PI: Melanie N. Ott Co-Is: William Joe Thomes Center Funding: GSFC Report on available vendors and fiber optic cables that meet basic spaceflight requirements. Test report(s) on optical fiber performance during preconditioning and thermal cycling.

FY 12 Advanced Optoelectronics Packaging (Continuation - Optoelectronics) Description: Multiple optoelectronics vendors have been developing new hermetic and non-hermetic packages to improve the reliability and insertion areas for their products. This task is an evaluation of the current state-of-the-art in optoelectronic packages. These new devices are an enabling technology for optical transceivers and calibration systems. The primary focus in developing these new packages is on methods for coupling the optical fiber to the optoelectronic package for long term reliability and stable performance. Traditional hybrid packaging and test methods have been demonstrated to be susceptible at the fiber to hybrid interface. Schedule: FY 12 Plans: • Evaluate advanced optoelectronic packaging methods for transceivers and calibration subsystem components for optical communications and science instruments. • Testing to include thermal cycling, thermal vacuum and random vibration • Top three optoelectronic packaging vendors have been invited to supply components for evaluation - Micropac/SPI and Ultracomm have given verbal confirmation that they will provide components for evaluation - Zephyr Photonics has been contacted to participate by supplying samples of their latest components Deliverables: 1. 2. Lead Center/PI: Melanie N. Ott Co-Is: William Joe Thomes Center Funding: GSFC Evaluation reports on optoelectronics packages tested. Updated test methods for hybrid optoelectronics with fiber optics.