SSC’s new optical ground station in Santiago, Chile. Photo: SSC

SSC Space is bringing a new optical ground station (OGS) into service at its site in Santiago, Chile. It will enable free-space laser communication between satellites and the ground, strengthening the capabilities of SSC Space in next-generation communication solutions. SSC Space made the announcement, March 10.

The new station is part of the SSC Space optical service development project NODES within the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Optical and Quantum Communications – ScyLight program, designed to accelerate the development of optical ground capabilities.

Manufactured by Safran Space, this new OGS complements traditional radio frequency links with laser-based optical links, offering data rates up to 10 Gbit/s. It will also offer narrow, directed beams which are difficult to intercept or jam and resilient to interference and cross-talk. It will also have multi-mission capability and bi-directional communications (throughout 2026) with integrated modems supporting CCSDS and Space Development Agency (SDA) standards.

“The station in Santiago is not just another node – it’s a leap forward. We’re moving satellite communications into a new era of speed, security, and resilience. As part of the NODES network, this station brings us closer to fulfilling tomorrow’s mission needs, with interference-resistant transmission capable of meeting heavy data demand,” Hanna Sundberg, optical program manager, SSC Space, said in a statement.