Fraunhofer IOF develops satellite communication with laser telescope
Fraunhofer researchers want to use laser communication telescope to modernize satellite infrastructure and keep pace with global competition.
A network for laser communication.
(Image: Fraunhofer IOF)
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, together with the companies Tesat and Spaceoptic, have developed a production-ready transmitting and receiving telescope for satellite-based laser communication. This telescope is intended to form the technological basis for future European satellite networks, enabling data rates in the gigabit to terabit range and thus outperforming conventional radio links.
According to Fraunhofer IOF, the Scot135 optical communication terminal from Tesat, for which the telescope was designed, is specially designed for use in medium and geostationary earth orbit. It achieves data transmission rates of up to 100 Gbit/s and can bridge distances of up to 80,000 kilometers. The telescope serves as a universal transmitter and receiver unit and is designed to be robust enough to withstand the extreme conditions in space as well as the thermal load caused by laser power of up to 50 watts.
"Relatively high laser powers are used in laser communication systems. Up to 50 watts are used here. For a space telescope, this is a relatively high amount of power that propagates through the system", Henrik von Lukowicz explains, the responsible project manager at Fraunhofer IOF. "This leads to heat build-up, which can result in changes to the optics. But of course the performance of the system must not be impaired as a result. Thermal management was therefore a particularly important point for our design," says Lukowicz. The components must also be particularly lightweight.
3 years development time
The development of the telescope at the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena took three years and focused on a cost-effective design. Production is carried out by Spaceoptic, a Fraunhofer spin-off in Isseroda. Five systems have already been produced, with an annual capacity of up to 50 more units.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting the project as part of its ScyLight program, which promotes the development of secure, laser-based communication systems in Europe. The aim is to achieve technological sovereignty and establish independent satellite communication networks, particularly for critical infrastructures such as security and civil protection. With this development, Europe wants to participate in international progress in the field of laser communication technologies, which are already being used by companies such as SpaceX in the Starlink network.
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