NASA, Astrolight and ESA Push Laser Links as 10,200 Starlink Satellites Strain Radio Spectrum
Updated
Updated · Interesting Engineering · May 19
NASA, Astrolight and ESA Push Laser Links as 10,200 Starlink Satellites Strain Radio Spectrum
3 articles · Updated · Interesting Engineering · May 19
Optical communication is moving from concept to deployment as NASA, Astrolight and ESA test or build laser links for crowded satellite networks, with NASA’s Orion system sending more than 100 gigabytes back from lunar distance.
The push comes as radio downlinks face rising interference: SpaceX has over 10,200 active Starlink satellites in orbit, and ESA projects roughly 100,000 satellites around Earth by the end of the next decade.
Laser links use infrared beams that deliver higher data rates, lower power use and far less interference than radio, making them especially attractive for satellite-to-satellite traffic already used in parts of Starlink’s network.
Space-to-ground adoption still hinges on atmospheric distortion and cloud cover, though Astrolight says its compensation algorithms can overcome those effects and is building an ESA-backed optical ground station in Greenland.
Industry experts expect the first optical Earth-to-space feeder links within five years, but until adaptive optics mature, many constellations will keep using lasers in space and radio for the final hop to Earth.
With 100,000 satellites planned, what is the hidden cost of building a laser internet in space?
Is the multi-billion dollar race for space lasers a tech revolution or a high-risk bubble?
Who will govern the unregulated 'wild west' of space lasers to prevent an orbital data war?