Space start-up Astrolight is preparing to launch its first laser-based communication satellite, which can provide data rates of up to 1Gbps from space without the use of radio waves.
With the Earth’s orbit getting increasingly crowded, operators of smallsats – compact, low-mass spacecraft typically weighing under 500kg – are struggling with radio spectrum licensing. The limitation means they often have to sacrifice downlink speed to afford missions and face a higher risk of signal interference. While big players such as Starlink already use laser communication as an alternative means of communication, very few smallsat-friendly solutions have been proven in orbit.
The Lithuania-based Astrolight has been developing a satellite dubbed ATLAS-1 with a focus on keeping the size, weight and power of the satellite to a minimum without sacrificing major communication capabilities. It will communicate with a ground-based station through a high-powered laser beam. As laser communication uses narrow...