Astrolight completes first end-to-end space-to-ground laser link
Astrolight
Astrolight established its first autonomous space-to-ground optical link, reaching 1 Gbps within a week of first light.
what happened
Lithuanian laser-communications company Astrolight announced October 8 that it established, for the first time, an end-to-end optical communication link from its ATLAS-1 terminal aboard the ERMIS-3 nanosatellite to its OGS-2.5 optical ground station in Holomondas, Greece, per Via Satellite and SatNews. The link moved from first light to routine autonomous operations at 1 Gbps within a week; link budget margins indicate the system could support up to 10 Gbps. Astrolight developed the terminal with the European Space Agency and worked with the University of Athens and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on the ground station for the PeakSat mission.
why it matters
A working, remotely-operated end-to-end optical link is the capability laser-communications suppliers need to make high-rate links practical for commercial satellite operators without constant on-site oversight, a step toward optical connectivity at scale.
for who
Laser-communications suppliers, satellite operators evaluating optical downlink
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- Astrolight
- Category
- product
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-08
- Published
- 2026-10-09 23:11 UTC