Astrolight, ATMOS Space Cargo eye first in-flight laser link between reentry vehicle, satellite

Illustration of an optical link between a satellite and ATMOS Space Cargo's reentry vehicle. Credit: ATMOS Space Cargo

WARSAW, Poland — The Lithuanian space laser communications company Astrolight has signed a memorandum of understanding with ATMOS Space Cargo, to demonstrate in-flight optical communications link between a reentry spacecraft and an orbiting satellite.

The demonstration is expected to take place in 2027 and would be the first of its kind, the companies said.

During the mission, Astrolight’s ATLAS-X laser communication terminals would fly onboard ATMOS’ PHOENIX reentry vehicle and the satellite employed for the test to demonstrate a spacecraft-to-satellite optical link. This will allow for real-time transfer of system and mission data during in-orbit operations and re-entry at a rate of up to 2.5 Gbps, Astrolight told SpaceNews.

Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight, said that testing a laser link between PHOENIX and an orbiting satellite could mark an important first for reentry communications. To date, this capability has only been explored in ground-based laboratory conditions, and Astrolight’s ambition is to bring it into space in partnership with its German partner, he said.