UK SME successfully tests laser communications system

A laser communications SME based in the UK has successfully completed field trials of a new deployable optical ground station which enables the secure transfer of data from space, as the country seeks to improve its strategic military communications. 

Archangel Lightworks announced on 27 May it successfully demonstrated its ‘TERRA-M’ station in the month, where data was “securely and rapidly” transferred between the platform and a satellite in low Earth orbit. 

The test took place over the course of a multi-day field trial in the Mediterranean region, following several months of testing, the company told DSEI Gateway. 

TERRA-M uses lasers instead of traditional radio frequencies to communicate with spacecraft and satellites. Laser-based optical links between satellites in orbit are well established, but direct optical downlinks to ground-based terminals, particularly compact deployable ones, remain at an early stage. Compared with radio frequency systems, optical links offer substantially higher data throughput and a more secure connection as the narrow laser beam is significantly harder to intercept or jam than a radio signal. One known limitation is that laser signals can be disrupted by cloud cover and atmospheric turbulence, which radio frequency systems are not subject to. 

Standing at 1.1m in height and 0.7m in diameter, Archangel Lightworks says the TERRA-M optical ground station is “easily transportable and deployable” by light vehicle or aircraft and can be placed on the roof of a building.  

Partnerships and plans for expansion:

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), an agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) supported the company with funding to conduct the trial. 

“Laser communications will vastly improve the speed, size and security of data between our forces, whether they are in the air, on land, at sea, or in space,” Dr Paul Hollinshead, DSTL Chief Executive, said. 

According to the MoD, the technology could form part of the UK’s Digital Targeting Web. This initiative aims to link intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ‘sensors’ to AI command and control ‘deciders’ and connect these to new ‘effectors’.  

Archangel Lightworks is steadily scaling up their capabilities and international presence. The company recently completed a GBP10 million ‘Series A’ funding round, led by Santander Alternative Investments, with participation from the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Blackfinch Ventures, Oxford Capital, Lycka Limited, and Oxford Science Enterprises. 

The company confirmed to DSEI Gateway that it has future tests planned “on a periodic basis” but is not disclosing further details at this time.