The next space milestone: Testing laser communications through re-entry

The Lithuanian laser communications specialist Astrolight has entered into a research arrangement with the space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo. The two firms have signed a memorandum of understanding to demonstrate what they aim to be the world’s first in-flight optical communications link between a re-entry spacecraft and an orbiting satellite, with the mission planned for 2027.

While space missions increasingly attract attention for launch capabilities and satellite constellations, one of the less discussed challenges concerns communications during atmospheric re-entry. If successful, the Astrolight-ATMOS demonstration could represent a major advance in how spacecraft communicate during one of the most demanding phases of a mission.

A communications challenge

Re-entry vehicles experience extreme thermal, aerodynamic and plasma environments as they descend through Earth’s atmosphere. During this phase, conventional radio frequency (RF) communications can degrade or become interrupted. This poses challenges for operators seeking real-time information about vehicle health, trajectory performance, payload status and mission success.

The planned demonstration seeks to address this challenge by using laser-based optical communications instead of relying solely on traditional RF systems. Astrolight’s ATLAS-X laser communication terminals are expected to be installed on both ATMOS Space Cargo’s PHOENIX re-entry vehicle and a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite. The objective is to demonstrate a spacecraft-to-satellite optical link capable of transmitting mission and payload data in real time at speeds of up to 2.5 gigabits per second.

According to the companies, this would be the first demonstration of an optical communications link between an orbiting satellite and a re-entering spacecraft operating under actual flight conditions rather than in laboratory testing environments.

Why laser communication matters

Laser communications have attracted growing attention across the space sector because of several important advantages. First, optical systems can support dramatically higher data rates than many conventional RF systems. Focused laser beams can carry significantly larger quantities of information, allowing operators access to telemetry, scientific measurements, payload data and vehicle performance metrics in near real time.

Second, optical communications provide a narrow and highly directed beam. This makes signals inherently more difficult to intercept, detect or jam, offering potentially important advantages for both commercial and defence-related missions. Third, the increasing number of satellites orbiting Earth is creating growing pressure on radio-frequency spectrum resources. Optical communications offer an alternative pathway that avoids many of the congestion issues associated with traditional spectrum allocation.

Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight, stated that the company’s longer-term vision is enabling direct optical communication between re-entry vehicles and satellite constellations, giving operators access to larger volumes of mission data while improving mission control and scalability.

Supporting a new generation of cargo return missions

The partnership is particularly relevant because of the growing interest in cargo-return missions. Historically, much of the attention in the commercial space sector has focused on transporting payloads into orbit. Increasingly, however, organisations are interested in bringing materials back to Earth. As orbital manufacturing and research activities expand, the ability to reliably return products becomes increasingly valuable.

This trend has attracted considerable attention from both commercial operators and government agencies. ATMOS Space Cargo is among several European organisations seeking to establish independent cargo-return capabilities that reduce dependence on international partners.

Although the demonstration remains scheduled for 2027, the announcement highlights several important trends shaping the future of space technology. The first is the rapid growth of optical communications as a complementary technology to conventional radio-frequency systems. The second is the increasing commercialisation of space-based manufacturing and cargo-return operations. The third is a desire to enhance technological sovereignty in strategically important sectors.