The University of Western Australia’s TeraNet has achieved a significant milestone in space communications by successfully receiving laser signals from a German satellite in low Earth orbit. This breakthrough opens the door to a 1,000-fold increase in communication bandwidth between space and Earth. Led by Associate Professor Sascha Schediwy, the TeraNet team at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) received laser signals from OSIRISv1, a laser communication payload installed on the University of Stuttgart’s Flying Laptop satellite. This demonstration marks the crucial first step in establishing a next-generation space communications network across Western Australia.
Advantages of Laser Communication
Unlike traditional wireless radio signals, TeraNet ground stations utilize lasers to transfer data between satellites in space and users on Earth. The use of lasers enables data transfer at incredibly high speeds, potentially reaching thousands of gigabits per second. Due to the higher frequencies at which lasers operate compared to radio signals, more data can be transmitted in a shorter amount of time. While wireless radio technology has been the norm for space communications for decades, the growing number of satellites in space has created a bottleneck in data transmission back to Earth. Laser communication offers a solution to this issue, although it does come with challenges such as signal interruption by clouds and rain.
To address the challenges associated with laser communication, the TeraNet team has established a network of three ground stations across Western Australia. By strategically spreading out the ground stations, TeraNet ensures that even if one station is experiencing poor weather conditions, the satellite can still download its data from another station with clear skies. Furthermore, one of the TeraNet ground stations is mounted on a custom-built Jeep truck, allowing for rapid deployment to areas in need of high-speed space communications, such as remote communities affected by natural disasters.
The introduction of high-speed laser communication from space has the potential to revolutionize various sectors, including Earth observation satellites, military communication networks, autonomous mining operations, and national disaster planning and responses. TeraNet’s support for multiple international space missions operating between low Earth orbit and the moon will involve a combination of conventional optical communications standards and advanced technologies like deep-space communication, ultra-high-speed coherent communications, quantum-secured communications, and optical positioning and timing. With ground stations at the University of Western Australia, the Mingenew Space Precinct, and a mobile station at the European Space Agency‘s New Norcia facility, TeraNet is poised to drive innovation in high-speed space communications.