SES to Test Optical Ground Stations

SES unveiled plans to explore transmitting data from satellites to ground stations without using radio. The company aims to increase data transfer rates and security.

Satellite player plans to test optical ground stations constructed by France-based Cailabs, a specialist in laser light technology and fiber networks. SES highlighted the fact that lasers offer potential data rates of up to 10Gb/s, along with strong resistance to jamming and interception. But it acknowledged the Earth’s atmosphere is a challenge for light-based transmission, creating turbulence which can cause beams to vacillate and break up.

Cailabs offers a solution in the form of multi-plane light conversion technology, which SES explained adapts to ensure the clarity of the laser signal. It plans to test the optical links at ground stations capable of delivering two-way transmissions at 10Gb/s. SES noted the optical approach would be a radical departure from radio-based transmissions, which have dominated satellite communications since the 1960s, addressing various issues, including increasingly busy airwaves.

Cailabs CEO Jean-Francois Morizur said its optical ground station technology is already field-proven with a variety of satellites and terminals, providing top performance in mitigating atmospheric turbulence. Carmel Ortiz, SVP of MEO programmes at SES, added that the ground stations could become a central component in the satellite company’s global network of gateways.