Europe Tests Laser Links As Satellite Comms Outgrow Radio

Source: Slashdot

Overview

Europe is testing laser‑based satellite communications through a new mountaintop ground station in Greece. The goal is to deliver faster, more secure links than traditional radio systems as bandwidth demand continues to grow.

The Holomondas Optical Ground Station

The Holomondas Optical Ground Station was commissioned by Lithuanian space and defense company Astrolight. It was built under the PeakSat project, led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with backing from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Greece’s Ministry of Digital Governance.

The station’s purpose is to receive data from satellites via infrared laser links rather than the radio frequency (RF) systems that have been used for decades.

CubeSat Missions

Two Greek CubeSats—PeakSat and ERMIS‑3—were launched in March as part of ESA’s broader Greek IOD/IOV mission program. Both spacecraft carry Astrolight’s ATLAS‑1 optical communication terminal. Astrolight also supplied the ground segment, giving the project a fully integrated end‑to‑end optical communications setup.

Technical Details

• Laser beacon: 808 nm wavelength
• Receiver: Optical C‑band capable of handling data rates up to 2.5 Gbps
• Advantages over RF:
  • Tightly focused infrared beams are harder to intercept or jam
  • Supports significantly higher throughput compared to traditional RF links

These capabilities demonstrate the potential for laser communications to become the next standard for satellite‑to‑ground links, offering both increased security and bandwidth.