THESSALONIKI, Greece – Astrolight, a Lithuania-based laser communications company, completed commissioning of the Holomondas Optical Ground Station in Greece. The site is designed to support optical data links between orbiting CubeSats and ground infrastructure.
The station will support the Greek In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation program, including the PeakSat and ERMIS-3 CubeSat missions launched in March through a European Space Agency-backed rideshare campaign. Both spacecraft carry optical communications payloads intended to test high-speed satellite connectivity using free-space transmission systems.
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Optical communications infrastructure and CubeSat connectivity
Astrolight supplied both the orbital and ground components for the demonstration architecture. The company developed ATLAS-1 laser communication terminals installed aboard the satellites while also building the optical systems operating at the Holomondas site.
Laser communications use tightly focused infrared light beams rather than conventional radio frequency transmissions to transfer information between spacecraft and Earth. Optical links can deliver substantially higher throughput rates while reducing susceptibility to electromagnetic interference and RF spectrum congestion.
Astrolight said the Holomondas station incorporates an 808-nanometer laser beacon and a C-band optical receiver designed to maintain beam alignment and receive data transmissions under changing atmospheric conditions. The system supports speeds reaching up to 2.5 gigabits per second during satellite passes.
Calibration systems and compact ground station architecture
The company also developed calibration technology intended to compensate for thermal variation and mechanical movement within the optical tracking system. Maintaining alignment accuracy remains one of the primary technical challenges in free-space optical communications because laser beams operate across extremely narrow transmission paths.
Astrolight said the calibration approach allows the station to operate with smaller telescope and mount configurations than many traditional optical ground systems. Reducing infrastructure size could lower deployment costs for future communications networks.
“We are happy to apply our technical expertise to commission the Holomondas station and support the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s efforts to advance Greece’s and Europe’s optical communication infrastructure,” said Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight.
The Holomondas station was developed through the PeakSat project led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with support from ESA and the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance.
