Laser Development at HiLASE for Space-Based Applications

HiLASE is participating in project LUGO for Moon geology study and a new concept of a SWIR laser for space communication. For LUGO we are developing a high energy short pulse fiber laser based on double clad fiber technology operating at 1.5 um for LiDAR for Moon surface profiling. Energies above 50 uJ for 1 ns long pulses at repetition rate of 50 kHz are expected. A similar laser concept can be used for Doppler LiDAR as well. For study of space communications in a new spectral band we are developing CW thin-disk laser operating close to 2.1 um to take benefit of spectral atmospheric window. An average power of 5 W is expected. Pulsed operation of such laser can be used for high energy LiDAR applications with pulse energies above 2 mJ at 1 kHz repetition rate.