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Experiment Title: Fiber Optic Data Transmission Experiment

Original Principal Investigator(s): Bergman, Dr. Larry - Invest. Role: Original, Bergman, Dr. Larry - Invest. Role: Present, Hartmayer, Mr. R. - Invest. Role: Present, Johnston, Dr. Alan - Invest. Role: Present, Johnston, Dr. Alan - Invest. Role: Original, Johnston, Dr. Alan - Invest. Role: Present, Johnston, Dr. Alan - Invest. Role: Original,

Application of fiber optic technology to data transmissions on a spacecraft yields several benefits in comparison to conventional copper wire transmission. Probably the most important advantage is that fiber links are inherently insensitive to pickup, electromagnetic interference, and ground loops. Also, fibers are roughly two order of magnitude small and lighter than their copper wire equivalent. The same components, once installed, could handle the wide range of signal bandwidths, from telephone rates (tens of kilobits) up to tens of megabits. In addition, there is a largely unexplored relationship with the developing microcircuit technology, suggesting other applications that are presently unknown. Therefore, early verification of fiber optic technology in the spacecraft environment should have a broadbased interest in the future, and this experiment provided an opportunity to test representative types of fiber links in an actual space environment.

Photograph Classification: Postflight

Associated Photograph(s):
LaRC - L91-09341
KSC - KSC-390C-2204.02
JSC - None
LaRC - L89-04395
KSC - KSC-384C-300.01
JSC - None
LaRC - L90-10501
KSC - None
JSC - S32-89-048

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