AAC Clyde Space has received its first order on the commercial version of its laser communication terminal CubeCAT. The EUR 0.6 million (approx. SEK 6.5 million) order for two laser communication terminals comes from Greek company EMTECH SPACE S.A. for its mission Hellenic Space Dawn.
In January 2024, AAC Clyde Space and its partner TNO successfully transferred data from a demonstration version of the terminal from space to Earth. The laser communication terminal CubeCAT is commercialised by AAC with its Dutch partner FSO Instruments. Measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing 1.3 kg, the terminal is ideally suited for use on nano satellites, such as the 8U cube satellite used in the Hellenic Space Dawn mission, as well as larger form factors.
"We are thrilled to see the laser communication terminal getting such a rapid recognition in the commercial space market. Laser communication has several advantages over traditional techniques, advantages that become even more important as the demand for space data increases," says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.
As commercial and government data demands continue to grow, the need for high-quality, timely data from space is growing rapidly. Laser communication technologies are being increasingly used to send data generated on satellites directly to Earth, as an alternative to traditional radio-frequency communication. By transmitting through the infra-red wavelength band, the limitations of standard radio frequency communication technologies are avoided, thereby increasing transmission capabilities of satellites by factors of 100 to 1 000 at lower size, weight and power, comparatively. Laser based system are also inherently more secure than radio-frequency based systems. The CubeCat is a complete communications terminal incorporating the optical front end, fine steering systems, as well as onboard processing and data storage meaning our customers can easily incorporate the unit in their mission design.
EMTECH is a Greek pioneering force in space technology since 2008. The Hellenic Space Dawn mission is funded by the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance with backing from the European Space Agency (ESA). The constellation will perform exhaustive experiments for laser optical communications regarding satellite to ground links, something that has not yet been achieved worldwide by using CubeSat technology.
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