File:OPALS - Flight System (1).png

The flight system is composed of three main elements:

1. Sealed Container: houses all of the commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) avionics boards, the laser, and custom power board pressured at 1 atmosphere with air. Connected to optical gimbal transceiver via cable feedthroughs.
2. Optical gimbal transceiver: an optical head that contains an uplink camera and laser collimator for the downlink sits on a two-axis gimbal.
3. Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM): both the sealed container and Optical gimbal transceiver sit on the FRAM, which provides a standard mechanical and electrical interface to both the ISS and the launch vehicle.