Characterization of Solar Radiation Effects on Free Space Optical Communication Using High-Altitude Balloon Measurements

Abstract

Free-space optical (FSO) communication offers high bandwidth and secure data transmission but remains vulnerable to environmental impairments. This study experimentally investigated the impact of solar-induced radiation on the operating environment of FSO communication links during a period of increased solar activity. Radiation measurements were collected using a Radiacode detector deployed on a high-altitude balloon flight reaching 28,304m in May 2025. The results show that solar-induced background noise increases the bit error rate (BER), particularly under low transmitter power, larger beam divergence, and higher attenuation conditions.