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Optical and quantum

ESA and Japan’s Space Compass Corporation partner to pioneer next-generation optical communication network

8 May 2025

ESA, in partnership with Japanese company, Space Compass Corporation, has signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) to jointly conduct the feasibility study for Japan’s LAIDEN project and ESA’s High Throughput Optical Network (HydRON) demonstration system.

ESA and Austria host world-leading quantum minds to drive space-based quantum information networks

8 May 2025

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) jointly hosted a workshop to address the challenges and opportunities in the interconnection of quantum networks, for example, through future scalable quantum computers and devices over large distances.

HydRON moves into next phase with Thales Alenia Space to develop optical LEO multi-orbit extension layer

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to develop Element #2 of the High-throughput Digital and Optical Network (HydRON) project, marking a significant step forward in space-based optical communications.

ESA supports Estonia’s first industry-led optical communication satellite

21 Nov 2024

ESA is bringing together Hungarian and Estonian space expertise, which will see the development and launch of Estonia’s first commercial satellite.

QMEM

Companies

  • DLR
  • Tesat Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG
  • FORTH - Foundation for Research and Technology, IESL – Institute of Electronic Structure of Laser

Categories

  • ScyLight
  • Optical and quantum

ESA-Kepler Communications partnership signals start of development phase of HydRON’s LEO ring layer

The role of optical communication in space missions continues to gain importance with ESA’s multi-orbit High-throughput Optical Network in Space (HydRON) project, which aims to demonstrate European and Canadian technological maturity as well as stimulate industry in maintaining technological leadership during the emerging developments of satellite communication.  

OFELIAS

Companies

  • DLR
  • DE-CIX

Categories

  • Optical and quantum
  • ScyLight

ESA Specification for Terabit/sec Optical Links (ESTOL)

European Space Agency-funded projects reach new performance level in groundwork for optical LEO to GEO data relays

Telecommunications equipment company, TESAT, and fibre-optic technology leader, MPB Communications, successfully demonstrated a 100 Gigabit per second (Gbps) data at 40 Watts (W) optical output power over a distance of more than 45,000 kilometres, from geostationary (GEO) to low earth orbit (LEO) in a laboratory environment.

In-orbit optical downlink demonstration paves the way for laser satellite communications

A European consortium, primed by Airbus Netherlands (NL), has demonstrated a world-first 9 Gbit/s class, optical downlink from geostationary orbit. Through ESA’s Consolidation of Refinement of Optical Link Architectures (CREOLA) project, under the Optical and Quantum Communications – ScyLight programme, the demonstration tested conditions where the transmitter and the receiver were in different locations (bi-static), stationary Optical Ground Station (OGS) under real-world operational conditions.

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