SILEX in-orbit performances

PASTEL embarked on-board SPOT4, French LEO earth observation satellite, and OPALE mounted on-board ARTEMIS, European GEO telecommunication satellite are the key components of SILEX (Semi-conductor Inter-satellite Link Experiment) system. Launched in March 1998, PASTEL terminal was first verified via star tracking. Then, first SILEX optical communication was successfully performed in December 2001 with ARTEMIS at 31000 km. Following 12 months ARTEMIS orbit rising, SILEX commissioning phase was successfully achieved in spring 2003. Today, more than hundred successful optical communications have been achieved. On 1st of October 2003, the SILEX optical link was declared fully operational by the European and French space agencies. After a recall of SILEX architecture, design and onground verification, this paper reports on in-orbit results.