Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CROCUS (Coherent Rapid Optical Communication Under the Stratosphere)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-06-15 bis 2024-06-14
The acceleration of worldwide digitization has led to an explosive growth of data traffic: 3-fold increase in the last 5 years, reaching 10 exabytes/day on average. Radio Frequency bandwidths are getting saturated, while 1/3 of humanity still does not have access to the Internet. Latest generation Earth observation satellites (e.g. Pleiades Neo) gather 40 Tbits of data per day, yet ground infrastructures are not ready to download such amounts of data. There is thus a crucial need for new broadband, scalable wireless communication modes. To complement limited RF wireless, laser communication solutions are a key technology to deliver on 3 major promises:
- ultrafast up and downlink (100Gbps+ !)
- unlicensed communication spectrum
- secure links (low probability of detection & interception)
Lasercom technologies have reached good maturity levels, especially in space, as highlighted by the acceleration of lasercom terminal deployments since 2021 – let’s mention for instance the 40 SCOT80 terminals (10Gbps compatible) that have been delivered by TESAT in 2023. However, signal scrambling induced by atmospheric turbulence remains a key bottleneck for laser communication through the atmosphere and prevents large scale deployment of ground terminals.
The CROCUS project aims at developing a high-performance, modular, multi-platform Laser Communication Terminal (LCT) for ground stations and vehicles under the stratosphere. This system will be:
- high performance: 10+ Gbps as a standard, and upgradeable to 100+ Gbps in the future;
- robust, thanks to the absence of moving parts;
- cost-effective: multiple times cheaper than adaptive optics-based systems
- compact: suited to embedded applications
- modular and scalable: compatible with standard telecom equipment.
Cailabs brings a solution to the atmospheric turbulence thanks to a unique turbulence mitigation module which reshapes the high-speed laser signal scrambled by atmospheric turbulence into a reliable signal. CROCUS broadband LCT will provide network links compatible with mobile constraints for ground or air- and sea-vehicles, under strong turbulence conditions. The terminal will be integrated into global communication systems, ground station networks for satellite-to-ground links, and line of sight communications with vehicles and remote areas. CROCUS will pave the way to largely deployed wireless optical communication, with impact on several markets:
- ground systems and components for laser satellite communication (including optical ground stations for Earth observation, massive data transfer, optical key distribution and quantum key distribution). Such technologies will for instance be strategic to the European IRIS² constellation;
- line-of-sight lasercom terminals embedded in terrestrial and naval vehicles;
- airborne terminals in aircraft or drones.
- ultrafast up and downlink (100Gbps+ !)
- unlicensed communication spectrum
- secure links (low probability of detection & interception)
Lasercom technologies have reached good maturity levels, especially in space, as highlighted by the acceleration of lasercom terminal deployments since 2021 – let’s mention for instance the 40 SCOT80 terminals (10Gbps compatible) that have been delivered by TESAT in 2023. However, signal scrambling induced by atmospheric turbulence remains a key bottleneck for laser communication through the atmosphere and prevents large scale deployment of ground terminals.
The CROCUS project aims at developing a high-performance, modular, multi-platform Laser Communication Terminal (LCT) for ground stations and vehicles under the stratosphere. This system will be:
- high performance: 10+ Gbps as a standard, and upgradeable to 100+ Gbps in the future;
- robust, thanks to the absence of moving parts;
- cost-effective: multiple times cheaper than adaptive optics-based systems
- compact: suited to embedded applications
- modular and scalable: compatible with standard telecom equipment.
Cailabs brings a solution to the atmospheric turbulence thanks to a unique turbulence mitigation module which reshapes the high-speed laser signal scrambled by atmospheric turbulence into a reliable signal. CROCUS broadband LCT will provide network links compatible with mobile constraints for ground or air- and sea-vehicles, under strong turbulence conditions. The terminal will be integrated into global communication systems, ground station networks for satellite-to-ground links, and line of sight communications with vehicles and remote areas. CROCUS will pave the way to largely deployed wireless optical communication, with impact on several markets:
- ground systems and components for laser satellite communication (including optical ground stations for Earth observation, massive data transfer, optical key distribution and quantum key distribution). Such technologies will for instance be strategic to the European IRIS² constellation;
- line-of-sight lasercom terminals embedded in terrestrial and naval vehicles;
- airborne terminals in aircraft or drones.
This first project year has been extremely busy as planned, and very rich in findings and building expertise. Our work has been focused on building architectures for all 3 major applications for CROCUS: Optical Ground Stations (OGS), Line-of-Sight (LOS) lasercom and airborne terminals.
The initial goal of the CROCUS project was to develop a unique platform for all applications. During this first project year, we have built technical expertise and refined end user requirements and constraints. The findings show that constraints and environments are strongly different between those applications, and that customers and end users have different price sensitivity depending on the application. Therefore, we have presented 2 architectures corresponding to 2 extreme cases :
- OGS to communicate with a third-party satellite (which we don’t control)
- Full-duplex LOS terminal (where we control emission and reception sides).
Depending on the environment, there will be many intermediate cases whether the terminal is in a maritime environment or airborne for instance. All these cases will be based on intermediate architecture variations between these extreme cases.
OGS architecture is the most advanced, with the pilot Cailabs OGS expected to communicate with a satellite by the end of 2023 (and therefore reach highest TRL), and 2 commercial successes (OGS sold to 2 ground station operators) driving the architecture development in line with CROCUS timeline.
LOS architecture is progressing at a slower pace with first prototypes expected in the first half of 2024, but is also in line with the CROCUS timeline.
The initial goal of the CROCUS project was to develop a unique platform for all applications. During this first project year, we have built technical expertise and refined end user requirements and constraints. The findings show that constraints and environments are strongly different between those applications, and that customers and end users have different price sensitivity depending on the application. Therefore, we have presented 2 architectures corresponding to 2 extreme cases :
- OGS to communicate with a third-party satellite (which we don’t control)
- Full-duplex LOS terminal (where we control emission and reception sides).
Depending on the environment, there will be many intermediate cases whether the terminal is in a maritime environment or airborne for instance. All these cases will be based on intermediate architecture variations between these extreme cases.
OGS architecture is the most advanced, with the pilot Cailabs OGS expected to communicate with a satellite by the end of 2023 (and therefore reach highest TRL), and 2 commercial successes (OGS sold to 2 ground station operators) driving the architecture development in line with CROCUS timeline.
LOS architecture is progressing at a slower pace with first prototypes expected in the first half of 2024, but is also in line with the CROCUS timeline.
Significant results have been achieved during the first 12 months of the CROCUS project.
- Further research and IPR support: we have developed a new turbulence mitigation scheme for the emission channel, resulting in a filed patent;
- Demonstration: satellite-to-ground links have been delayed due to launcher delays, however we have secured several partnerships with the goal of demonstrating links within the next 12-month period;
- Finance: Cailabs announced a successful €26m funding round in December 2022, with a leading European New Space private investor, and leveraging the EIC fund;
- Commercialisation: Cailabs OGS are meeting commercial success with 2 stations sold to early-adopter ground station operators (Swedish Space Corporation and Contec);
- Internationalisation: Cailabs is extending its sales network (new partnership in Korea) and is in the process of establishing a US subsidiary.
Further uptake is expected as new technical advances are made and could result in additional patents, and an acceleration of market acceptance for laser communications is fueling Cailabs’ sales pipeline, in line with our business plan expectations.
- Further research and IPR support: we have developed a new turbulence mitigation scheme for the emission channel, resulting in a filed patent;
- Demonstration: satellite-to-ground links have been delayed due to launcher delays, however we have secured several partnerships with the goal of demonstrating links within the next 12-month period;
- Finance: Cailabs announced a successful €26m funding round in December 2022, with a leading European New Space private investor, and leveraging the EIC fund;
- Commercialisation: Cailabs OGS are meeting commercial success with 2 stations sold to early-adopter ground station operators (Swedish Space Corporation and Contec);
- Internationalisation: Cailabs is extending its sales network (new partnership in Korea) and is in the process of establishing a US subsidiary.
Further uptake is expected as new technical advances are made and could result in additional patents, and an acceleration of market acceptance for laser communications is fueling Cailabs’ sales pipeline, in line with our business plan expectations.