Colloquium: Vincent Affatato (Space Flight)

Laser altimeters have become an essential tool in planetary exploration, enabling, e.g., topographic mapping. The BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA) and the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA), currently in flight to Mercury and the Jovian moons, respectively, will deliver unprecedented insights into the surfaces of rocky and icy bodies in our solar system. However, up to now, such instruments have only been flown on large satellites, not succeeding in matching the SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) requirements of miniaturised systems. This thesis explores such adaptation by implementing a trade-off analysis to identify an optical design for the 3 U miniaturised NLA (New Laser Altimeter). The optomechanical design of a prototype holding the instrument’s transceiver optics has been developed. Key performance parameters like the laser beam expansion properties have been determined and were found to comply with simulation predictions. Achievements and limitations related to induced aberrations, transmission maximisation, and the feasibility of conducting ranging measurements are discussed.

Supervisor: Dr. S.J.M. (Sandra) Potin & Dr.ir. R. (Rudolf) Saathof