Fiber Optic Cable Assemblies for Space Flight Applications III: Characterization of Commercial Cables for Thermal Effects

Introduction This is the third paper in a series of white papers addressing the issues associated with the usage of optical fiber cables in space flight applications.[1-2] These experiments to characterize commercially available optical fiber cables are crucial to deciding which cables are appropriate for which space flight mission based on their environmental performance. The objective of this project has always been to distinguish which commercially available cables will perform adequately in different space flight environments and to end up with a selection of different cable assemblies for a selection of different space flight environments. In addition to determining which cables are best for space flight applications the methods and parameters by which these cables are "preconditioned" is also under study such that the problem of thermally induced cable component shrinkage can be alleviated. This problem of cable component shrinkage has become an issue associated with all optical fiber cable on the market today and presents a calibration and reliability problem.[1] This paper addresses the issue of thermal effects and preconditioning of optical fiber cables with the goal of making these cables more readily available to all space flight missions.