G&H Space Technology Part of Recently Announced Success in JAXA Inter-satellite Communication
Nagoya, Japan – October 2024
G&H (LON: GHH), the leading optics and photonics solutions provider, is pleased to be part of the recent statement from JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, about the success of the communication between their Optical Data Relay Satellite (ODRS) with the Daichi No. 4 Advanced Radar Satellite at a speed of 1.8 gigabits per second (Gbps) in the 1.5 μm wavelength band – one of the world’s fastest inter-satellite data transmissions to be recorded. G&H has been involved with the project via its fiber optic systems and photonic technologies included in LUCAS (Laser Utilising Communication System), a hardware developed in collaboration with Japan’s NEC Corporation that has been placed on board ODRS. This system has been paramount to the success of the Japanese mission, powering the recorded downlink speed without issues over 40,000 km of distance between satellites.
G&H’s role in this success story corresponds to the development of the cutting-edge, power-efficient optical amplifier technology that enabled closing the link budget at the presented speed and distance. The LUCAS system includes two G&H-designed and built optical amplifiers that are used to facilitate an all-optical bidirectional link between the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. A high-power optical amplifier is used to boost the signal at the transmitter, and a low-noise pre-amplifier is placed at the receiver end to amplify the photons coming from tens of thousands of kilometers away. G&H space photonics expertise, originating from Constelex, a small Greek start-up acquired in 2013, was combined with the long-standing G&H’s heritage in manufacturing high reliability systems for undersea fiber optics to move up the value chain in the space sector. In the frames of this project, G&H managed to qualify new space-grade fiber optic components and has integrated them into state-of-the-art amplifier systems built in dedicated clean rooms at the company’s Torquay facility in the United Kingdom.
The inter-satellite communication development comes as a positive response to the growing connectivity challenges the space industry is facing. These include topics such as available bandwidth, time sensitivity and the security of the transferred data. G&H, through fiber optic and laser-based product lines similar to the ones in LUCAS, is expanding the space ecosystem of tools and technology that provides high-precision solutions with an upstanding accessibility threshold.
“Seeing an idea transform from a design on a piece of paper to a fully space-qualified system orbiting the planet is overwhelming,” comments Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H. “From the beginning, we were certain that a different technological approach was required to make laser communications not only possible but also scalable, future-proof and ultimately a commercial success. So, this recent news from JAXA reporting on the success of the high-speed transmission of data between its satellites reminded us all at G&H what teamwork, persistence and innovative thinking can achieve. Just imagine: our starting point in space heritage were passive coupler modules placed on the European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite that weighed only a few grams and measured a few centimeters. By the end of that project, we were flying complex photonic systems containing fiber-optics, lasers and electronics weighing several kilograms – a great achievement regarding going up the value chain. None of that would have been possible without the G&H space photonics team in Torquay, UK and I feel extremely lucky to have worked alongside these brilliant engineers. I am also grateful for our Japanese Sales team, Masashi Wada and Yoshitaka Yokoyama, for guiding us throughout this entire journey. I also want to extend my congratulations to JAXA for this world-leading result. We will always be thankful for the trust the NEC Space Technologies team showed us by selecting us to be part of this ground-breaking project and we are looking forward to pioneer future space technologies together.”
“We are very honored to have been involved in such a trailblazing space project as this one from JAXA,” affirms Masashi Wada, Senior Sales Director Asia Pacific at G&H.“I believe our team’s passion for the purpose of this technological advancement in space comms has been made visible through the achieved results. Working alongside NEC Corporation on the optical link has also been a true privilege. We have put in a lot of effort, time, and focus into overcoming many issues with this project, as one is to expect when testing new frontiers. But together, with both G&H and NEC on board, we all succeeded. From my side, I would like to extend special thanks to Stratos and his team, who first introduced the capability of Space Photonics to G&H. We also would want to express our deepest appreciation to the NEC team, with whom we have kept close communication throughout all stages of this project. We are extremely proud to have collaborated with their teams, a company dedicated to pioneering space development in Japan. NEC, equipping Dr. Itokawa’s Kappa rocket with a telemetry transmitter and receiver back in 1956, have built the satellite relay system for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and have delivered Japan’s first artificial satellite in 1970. Today, they have announced their breakthrough in inter-satellite communication. We are honored to have been able to contribute with our technology, thus taking new steps in space history together.”
The undertaken mission will continue its experimental documentation of how different positions, speeds and distances between the Optical Data Relay Satellite and the Daichi No. 4 influence communication quality, an experience powered by state-of-the-art G&H fiber optics and laser technology.