Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has won a new 2.26 million euros ($2.46 million) contract from the European Space Agency (ESA), the company announced May 15. This contract is for the second phase of the optical communication project NODES. The contract will support the implementation, test and demonstration of an optical network, to be carried out…

NASA’s TBIRD mission recently broke its own record for optical communications in space, demonstrating 200 gigabits per second in a space-to-ground optical link from a satellite in orbit to Earth. NASA said this is the highest data rate ever achieved by optical communications technology. The TBIRD payload — TeraByte InfraRed Delivery — was built by…

A trio of Dutch organizations are working together to target the laser communications market in the satellite industry. Technology developers Demcon and VDL Group formed a joint venture this month called FSO Instruments to produce laser satellite communication technology. This builds on technology developed by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, known as TNO. …

A research organization in the Netherlands reached a deal to deploy its laser communications technology on a future Sidus Space satellite for a tech demonstration mission.  The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, known as TNO, will deliver its HemiCAT miniature laser communications terminal to Sidus Space to integrate, deploy, and operate on a LizzieSat…