The number of lower earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation projects is increasing rapidly. With high profile private companies now competing with governments and agencies to launch thousands of satellites, space is getting more congested. LEO constellation satellite developers are increasingly turning towards optical communication, rather than radio frequency intersatellite communication due to the increased throughput and security of data transmission. This form of communication inherently requires new communication terminals capable of stabilizing and steering these beams between satellites.
Piezo Solutions for Aerospace Data Communications
One of the most capable technologies to achieve this beam steering are piezo tip-tilt actuators. Leveraging piezo-ceramic stacks, these tip-tilt actuators are built such that mirrors can be mounted and then deflected at hundreds and up to thousands of hertz. Utilizing solid state flex-hinge designs, these tip-tilt actuators can reach displacements up to 40 mrad across multiple axes, while maintaining resolutions as high as .02 µrad. piezosystem jena has years of experience in developing these piezo tip-tilt mirror stages. From this experience comes the understanding that there are many factors that matter outside of speed, accuracy, and range. Factors, such as the value of space and weight for space bound operations. That is why these systems are developed to be small and lightweight to reduce launch cost. Maintenance is not readily feasible for satellites, which means quality and reliability are paramount for optical guidance systems.
Satellites with fast steering tip-tilt mirrors for directing laser communications are being designed now for launch over the next few years.
Piezoelectric actuators by their nature also bring inherent benefits for satellite operation, such as being radiation resistant, as well resilient to electromagnetic fields while not producing any of their own. This means piezosystem jena actuators will not interfere with nearby electronics, or be impacted by other electronics or radiation. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, piezosystem jena fast steering mirrors require no power consumption for maintaining position. Piezo-electrics require nothing but a steady voltage and no amperage to hold their position, saving valuable energy onboard satellites.
Space-Qualified: How PSH Systems are Developed for European Space Agency
The development of our latest PSH 20/2 and PSH 35/2 series was driven by the stringent demands of the European Space Agency (ESA) SQATTS (Space Qualified Tilting System) project. While these systems showed preliminary suitability for space, ESA required rigorous proof for flight applications. The successful completion of the technology phase provided this critical validation, confirming the system’s readiness and targeted specifications.
Our PSH design was certified for the two most critical functions in Optical Inter-Satellite Links (O-ISL): acting as Fine Steering Mirrors (FSM) to compensate for atmospheric disturbances, and as Point-Ahead Mechanisms (PAM) to create the necessary offset angle for satellite movement correction. By merging the capabilities of both FSM and PAM into a single solution, the PSH series delivers a significant reduction in both system integration effort and total cost for complex optical architectures.
Core Advantages of Space-Qualified PSH as FSM:
- Ultimate Precision: Utilizing solid-state piezo technology to offer virtually unlimited positioning resolution and zero mechanical play, guaranteeing the highest pointing accuracy.
- Extreme Durability: Built to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of launch, including extreme shock and vibration loads, while offering a wide operational temperature range and outstanding lifetime.
- Energy Efficiency: The capacitive nature of our piezo actuators ensures they consume no electrical power when holding a position, making them perfectly suited for power-constrained satellite platforms.
The high bar set by this ESA project confirms the PSH systems as a superior choice, not just for O-ISL, but also for any critical application, including those requiring advanced precision in laboratory settings and semiconductor manufacturing tools.
