General Atomics

History

2025: Launch of the world's first satellite-aircraft laser communications

American experts have successfully conducted the world's first test of a laser communication system between a flying aircraft and a space satellite in low Earth orbit. The experiment was performed by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems in conjunction with Kepler Communications, establishing a stable connection between the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft and the telecommunications satellite. Testing was completed in September 2025.

According to The Defense Post, innovative optical communication technology has overcome the limitations of traditional radio systems, which are characterized by narrow bandwidth and slow transmission of large amounts of data. Laser systems provide significantly faster communication speeds compared to radio waves.

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Фото: General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems

To conduct the experiment, General Atomics engineers have developed a special optical communication terminal measuring 30 centimeters, equipped with a 10 Watt laser. The device is capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 2.5 Gbps at a distance of up to 5500 kilometers between objects.

During testing, it was possible to achieve a data transfer rate of 1 Gbps, which exceeds the capabilities of most existing radio communication systems. The terminal successfully completed target targeting, satellite capture, tracking its motion, and establishing a stable link for data packet exchange.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems President Scott Forney noted that the team has reached an important stage in developing the concept. The onboard terminal performed all the necessary operations to establish communication with a satellite compatible with the Tranche 0 constellation, and confirmed the possibility of organizing uplink and downlink communication channels.

Optical communication systems have great potential for use in the military industry, as they are able to provide reliable secure communication channels for the armed forces. The technology is especially relevant for supporting tactical and operational tasks in conditions where high-speed data transmission is required.^[1]

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