10x Faster Than Satcom, 1,000x More Data
Airbus and VDL Group have signed a partnership agreement to develop a laser communication terminal for aircraft, known as UltraAir. Based on developments led by Airbus and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the two companies will now prepare a prototype demonstration and a first flight test in 2024.
UltraAir will enable the exchange of large amounts of data using laser beams in a network of ground stations and satellites in a 36,000km geostationary orbit. Using a highly stable and precise optical mechatronic system, the terminal will pave the way for data transmission rates that could reach several gigabits-per-second, while providing anti-jamming and low probability of interception.
In this way, UltraAir will allow military aircraft and UAS to connect within a multi-domain combat cloud, thanks to laser-based satellite constellations such as Airbus’ SpaceDataHighway. This is a key milestone in Airbus’ overall strategy to drive laser communications further, empowering the benefits of this technology as a key differentiator for providing multi-domain combat collaboration. In the longer term, UltraAir could also be implemented on commercial aircraft, allowing airline passengers to establish high-speed data connections.
Regarded as the solution for data traffic in the quantum age, laser communication technologies are the next revolution in satcom. As satellite bandwidth demand is growing, traditional satcom RF bands are experiencing bottlenecks: laser communication brings 1,000 times more data, 10 times faster than the current network. Laser links also avoid interference and detection – they are far more difficult to intercept compared to already-crowded radio frequencies, due to a much narrower beam. They can thus be lighter, consume less power and offer even better security than radio.
Co-financed by Airbus and VDL Group, the UltraAir project is also supported by the ESA ScyLight (Secure and Laser Communication Technology) programme and by the NxtGen Hightech programme, as part of the Dutch Growth Fund, led by TNO and a large group of Dutch companies.
