reasons for this decision. For example, space plasma non-linear interactions are negligible for laser wavelengths and, therefore, ground simulations would be adequate. However, the most obvious reason for not pursuing an ASAP laser demonstrator is the SILEX intra-satellite communications system planned for launch on the Artemis comsat in 1997. SILEX is a 250 mm diameter Cassegrain telescope mounted on a 2-axis gimbal system that will use an optical laser for communications experiments between low Earth orbit and GEO, Its laser power of only 60 mW is very small. However, the distance covered is a maximum of 45,000 km. At that distance the laser beam footprint is on the order of 200 m. Even though this footprint may seem large, at a distance of 2,800 km it is equivalent to the 12.5 m diameter rectenna described earlier. (For additioanl in formation, see the Appendix for information supplied by MATRA on SILEX.) The SILEX performance will envelope the best that could be achieved on ASAP, except in the area of power level which, as noted earlier, is not terribly important for laser experiments. Essentially, SILEX could be considered as a small-scale version of the Laser Solution presented in PART I, except that the distance covered is 4 times greater. The very high pointing characteristics of SILEX over this range will also provide valuable data for proposed laser- powered Solar Power Satellites.
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