Dstl achieves UK’s first optical downlink from space

Above: Archangel Lightworks TERRA-M optical ground station.
Courtesy Dstl

The demonstration will now provide a way for faster and more secure communications for the UK’s armed forces.

During a 90-second satellite pass, many gigabytes of data were downloaded from a satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO) to an optical ground station located in the Mediterranean region. This transformational leap is like moving from very slow internet to superfast fibre broadband.

Also known as free space optical communications, laser communications enables high-speed transmissions over long distances. This is ideal for military applications such as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance where large volumes of information must be sent quickly to give UK forces an operational advantage over adversaries.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: "Space is crucial for how our armed forces communicate, allowing our sailors, soldiers and aviators to conduct the operations which keep the UK and our allies safe.

"By developing laser communications we’re dramatically increasing how quickly and securely our satellites can talk to our bases on Earth, protecting these communications from interference and giving us an advantage over our adversaries."

Dstl Chief Executive, Dr Paul Hollinshead, said: "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. This will greatly increase the security of our forces who will be able to convey critical information faster than their adversary.

"Our collaborative partnerships with industry catalyse innovation and enable Defence to be an engine for growth, supporting jobs and creating commercial opportunities.

Dstl has been working closely with Archangel Lightworks, a small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) located in Oxford, UK, who have been developing an optical ground station for the trial.

The initiative exemplifies Dstl’s delivery of the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, by harnessing the talents of specialist industrial and academic partners from across the supplier ecosystem across the breadth of the UK.  

Laser communications transmit information using very low power, non-visible light instead of radio waves (radio frequency, RF). Light has a much shorter wavelength than radio waves so it can transmit more data per second. This is very difficult to detect and intercept, greatly reducing the chance of detection by enemy sensors.

Narrow beams also reduce the chance of overlap or interference with other networks and equipment. Laser communications will also allow the military to communicate in an increasingly contested and congested electromagnetic environment.

The technology will be exploited by many capability areas across the UK Ministry of Defence and could form part of the UK’s digital targeting web as well as being interoperable with the US Space Development Agency standard.

Archangel Lightworks recently completed a Series A funding round, which included investment from the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF). The company manufactures systems at a facility in Oxford and is a sovereign UK capability which will support scaling production for deployment, sale or exports.