Development of Spaceborne Frequency-Stabilized Helium-Neon Laser

Abstract

A frequency stabilized Helium-Neon laser was developed to be launched into space and used as a calibration light source in a Fourier-transform interferometer. It is a simple Helium-Neon laser constructed with a minimum number of components and without any active resonator length controls to achieve both frequency stability and operating reliability in the space environment. Tests indicate a short-term frequency vs. temperature stability of the order of 10^-8/degreeC, a frequency repeatability of 5×10^-9, and an estimated reliability of 0.94 for 3 years of operation period, all of which satisfy the mission requirements.