Communication to and from space certainly rides at the top of nearly everyone’s ‘to do’ lists these days and Kiyohara Optics, ArkEdge Space, NICT and SoftBank Corporation have agreed to collaborate on the advancement to create demos of optical wireless comms between space and the stratosphere as well space and the ground.

The first demo is targeting a LEO launch in 2026 that will, hopefully, verify the viability of comms between space and the ground. Then, in 2027, optical wireless devices will be installed on a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) to verify the ability to send bidirectional optical wireless comms between space and the stratosphere that will witness the LEO spacecraft orbiting the Earth at high speed and covering a distance of as much as 2,000 kilometers… quite ambitious and a tech project that is undeniably demanding for those involved.

With optical wireless communication, frequency allocation and licenses for wireless comms are no longer needed. Ultra-narrow, highly direction beams are required by this tech and the challenge will be to establish and well as maintain stable communication.

Softbank’s Advanced Technology Research Institute has authored a blog article that delves into optical wireless comms in non-terrestrial networks (NTN).