WARSAW, Poland — Lithuanian laser communications company Astrolight and ATMOS Space Cargo will demonstrate an optical communications link between a reentry spacecraft and an orbiting satellite in 2027.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding covering the planned test, which would use Astrolight's ATLAS-X terminals aboard ATMOS' PHOENIX reentry vehicle and a satellite participating in the mission. The companies said the demonstration would mark the first in-flight test of this type of reentry communications link.
The system is designed to transfer mission and spacecraft data at rates up to 2.5 gigabits per second during orbital operations and reentry.
Related: Space Optical Payloads for Small Satellites and Space Missions
Reentry creates a difficult communications problem
Spacecraft generate large amounts of data as they return to Earth. Operators need information about vehicle health, trajectory, onboard systems, and mission conditions while the spacecraft moves through a demanding phase of flight.
ATMOS expects that need to grow as cargo-return missions become more autonomous and generate more data. Maintaining a high-capacity connection throughout the mission could give operators faster access to information while the vehicle makes its way home.
Astrolight will test that approach using an optical link. Rather than communicating only with ground infrastructure, PHOENIX would establish a direct connection with a satellite overhead. Longer term, the companies envision using satellite constellations to provide more opportunities to maintain that connection throughout a mission.
Laser communications trade radio waves for focused light
Traditional spacecraft communications rely heavily on radio-frequency (RF) links. Optical communications take a different approach by transmitting information through tightly focused laser beams.
Astrolight said the narrower beams can support notably higher data rates than conventional RF communications. The company also said optical links are more difficult to detect, intercept, or jam, characteristics that could make the technology useful for commercial and defense missions.
But there are engineering challenges, too. Establishing an optical link requires the terminals to maintain accurate pointing between two moving spacecraft. A reentry vehicle adds another layer of difficulty because its position and operating environment quickly change as it returns to Earth.
Astrolight said spacecraft-to-satellite laser communications during reentry have so far been explored in laboratory conditions. The 2027 mission would move that concept into an operational flight environment.
Europe develops more independent cargo-return capabilities
The demonstration also comes as Europe works to expand its ability to return payloads from low Earth orbit. European organizations currently rely in part on international partners for transportation to and from orbit. The European Space Agency's LEO Cargo Return Services Initiative aims to support European commercial cargo transportation capabilities and lessen that dependence.
ATMOS is developing PHOENIX as part of that emerging market. Adding high-speed connectivity could give future cargo vehicles another way to maintain contact as operators move toward more autonomous missions.
For Astrolight, the demonstration extends optical communications beyond conventional satellite links and into reentry operations. If successful, it could provide an early look at how space-based laser networks might remain connected to vehicles while they orbit and as they return home.
