Focus: Optical Communications

Based in Milan, Italy, SatEnlight is an optical communications technology company with a terminal that stacks multiple beams on top of each other, arranged in what looks like a multi-layered […]

The European Space Agency has selected Toronto-based Kepler Communications as prime contractor for HydRON Element 3, the third part of a sovereign optical communications constellation, the company announced this week […]

Space Compass ordered the first satellite in their planned Geostationary Orbit (GEO) optical data relay constellation from Swissto12, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday. Japanese telecommunications firms […]

Aalyria reported $100 million in funding from its Series B financing round, placing the aerospace communications provider at a $1.3 billion valuation. Battery Ventures and J2 Ventures led the funding […]

A new partnership between NanoAvionics and Kepler Communications will give NanoAvionics’ customers easier access to Kepler’s optical relay network. Canada-based Kepler has selected NanoAvionics as the preferred European satellite bus provider […]

Blue Origin dropped some surprising news on Wednesday afternoon, announcing plans to deploy TeraWave, a new constellation of optically linked satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), geared […]

SpaceX’s “Twilight” rideshare mission on Sunday deployed the first tranche of Kepler Communications’ next-generation optical satellite constellation.  The Twilight mission launched on a Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 11 from […]

Cailabs is working to bring transportable optical ground stations to market through a new agreement with DataPath to integrate its optical instruments onto DataPath’s transportable ground stations. Cailabs has signed […]

Quantum company IonQ is making another acquisition in the space industry with a deal to acquire optical communications company Skyloom Global.  Optical communications will “form the backbone for quantum-secure communications […]

Open Cosmos is working on a project with Japanese company Panasonic Operational Excellence Co. to advance optical inter-satellite communications.  The companies will focus on faster and more autonomous ways for […]

A Japanese consortium of Softbank, ArkEdge Space, Kiyohara Optics, and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) are planning to demonstrate optical communications between space and the stratosphere. […]

Voyager Technologies said it has acquired proprietary technology in optical communications from BridgeComm, the company announced Monday. Voyager said this acquisition will allow the company to deliver optical communication solutions […]

AeroVironment (AV) has won a contract worth around $240 million for its long-haul laser communications terminals. The terminals will be deployed in orbit by an unnamed customer. AV’s long-haul laser […]

Aalyria reported two technical milestones with its atmospheric laser communications technology, Tightbeam. Aalyria reported demonstrating a 65-kilometer atmospheric optical link delivering sustained 100 Gbps speeds through real-world atmospheric conditions. The […]

BlackSky Technology won the next phase of a competitive U.S. Navy research contract to continue developing optical inter-satellite link (OISL) terminal applications for its Gen-3 constellation. Future satellites in BlackSky’s […]

The European Space Agency (ESA) recently demonstrated the first deep-space optical communication with a European ground segment, communicating with NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment onboard the Psyche mission.  […]

Kepler Communications reports it has demonstrated space-to-ground optical data relay between its satellite in orbit and a Cailabs optical ground station.  Kepler’s two optical Pathfinder satellites, launched in 2023, are […]

Space Systems Command selected CACI, General Atomics, and Viasat to continue development of space laser communication terminal prototypes .  The awards announced Thursday are for Phase 2 of the $100 […]

Sidus Space and Warpspace signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a joint venture aimed at advancing satellite communications and mission operations, Sidus Space announced on March 12. Warpspace […]

Spire has demonstrated optical communications between two satellites in orbit in its constellation for the first time, Spire reported on March 3.  The demonstration took place between two satellites equipped […]

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japanese IT and technology company NEC have demonstrated optical inter-satellite data relay between the Daichi-4 Earth observation satellite in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and a […]

Airbus and the French Space Agency CNES have completed the TELEO mission demonstrating very high throughput laser communications between Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Earth. TELEO is an optical communications payload […]

Lockheed Martin has selected Tesat optical communication terminals (OCT) for a demonstration on a future GPS III spacecraft. Tesat announced the agreement on Tuesday for its SCOT80 OCTs.  Tesat Managing […]

As satellite operators raise concerns about radio frequency (RF) congestion, greater use of laser communications in response could have unintended consequences. SpaceX, for example, has warned that its cellular Starlink […]

Kepler Communications petitioned the FCC this week to adjust its satellite constellation plans for the company’s updated optical data relay infrastructure.  Instead of a network of 360 linked, radio frequency […]

While NASA’s TBIRD lasercom payload completed its mission in September, NASA is still sharing milestones it reached. Before the mission ended, a NASA optical ground station transmitted its first laser […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—The Space Development Agency (SDA) continues to advance the communications capabilities of its first batch of satellites on orbit as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), […]

Xenesis has won a new Phase 2 contract from the Space Development Agency (SDA) for optical communications terminals. This effort kicked off in December 2023 and is a follow-on effort […]

Mynaric is experiencing production delays on its laser communication terminals, causing the company to slash its revenue guidance. Mynaric updated its guidance on August 20 and also announced the company’s […]

Kepler Communications has validated optical inter-satellite links, transmitting data between two relay satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). The two Kepler satellites used in the test are equipped with Tesat SCOT80 […]