Higher efficiency lasers with flexible wavelength conversion support Department of Defense programs including small aircraft and UAV based eyesafe laser rangefinding, target marking and designation. In addition commercial terrain profiling, altimetry and surveying systems require more capable laser sources to increase coverage rate and reduce operating cost. Military space-based sensors including rendezvous, docking and precision tracking lidars require a new generation of space qualifiable efficient laser transmitter. The advanced laser transmitter technology proposed directly supports NASA Earth Science Decadal Study programs for aerosols (ACE), global wind (3D-Winds, UV Lidar) and advanced multi-beam altimetry missions (DESDynl, LIST). In addition the laser transmitter improvements proposed here would enable a number of airborne/UAV based missions including ozone, oxygen, carbon dioxide and high spectral resolution aerosol lidar.
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