Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Spaceflight Photonics: Fiber Optics and Optoelectronics

A space-qualified fiber optic array to simplex assembly featuring 7 large core fibers.
A space-qualified fiber optic array to simplex assembly featuring 7 large core fibers.

Leveraging Over 30 years of Expertise in Fiber Optics and Optoelectronics to Ensure Mission Success in the Harshest Environments

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Photonics Group is a center of excellence for both fiber optics and optoelectronics since its formation over 30 years ago. They offer a one stop shop for fiber optic system design, production, qualification and integration for space flight and other harsh environments. In addition, they perform screening, qualification, and lot acceptance testing on optoelectronics components (LEDs, laser diodes, photodiodes, etc.).

The Photonics Group has capabilities to design, manufacture, and test a wide variety of fiber optic simplex and array assemblies configured to meet program requirements such as fiber type, wavelength, polarization, power handling and thermal stability over large temperature ranges. All fiber optic assemblies are manufactured and tested in cleanrooms at the GSFC Greenbelt campus. The team performs hands on integration, both within NASA and remotely for outside partners, to ensure fiber optic assembly reliability throughout the lifetime of each program. Fibers from the Photonics Group can be found on dozens of successful missions including Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Curiosity & Perseverance, Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESAT-2), and Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) with critical ground support equipment used to applications down to cryogenic temperatures for both James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Roman Space Telescope (RST) Wide Field Instrument.

Photonics Group member Diana Blair performing fiber optic integration for Roman Space Telescope.
Photonics Group member Diana Blair performing fiber optic integration for Roman Space Telescope.

The Photonics Group also has extensive expertise and onsite testing capabilities for a wide variety of optoelectronic part types for space flight and harsh environment, using internally developed testing methodologies, processes, and procedures that combine the optical and electrical aspects of these devices. The team strives to increase the accuracy, repeatability, and efficiency of component test configurations at every opportunity. The Photonics Group has created custom automated modular testing setups that allow for highly accurate and repeatable measurements necessary for trending performance of optoelectronics over screening and qualification test campaigns.  Setups are designed for large quantity batch processing and easily reconfigured to accommodate a wide variety of part types over the entire wavelength range from Ultraviolet (UV) to Near Infrared (NIR). These setups have  succeeded in providing significant cost and schedule reduction of screening and qualification campaigns for projects across NASA and outside partners.

Photonics Group gantry based multi-device testing setup.
Photonics Group gantry based multi-device testing setup.

Spaceflight Photonics is managed by ETD’s Electrical Engineering Division (EED). Contact EED for more information.