2015 IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)

Current Status of Research and Development on

Space Laser Communications Technologies and
Future Plans in NICT

Morio Toyoshima, Tetsuharu Fuse, Dimitar R. Kolev, Hideki Takenaka, Yasushi Munemasa, Naohiko Iwakiri,
Kenji Suzuki, Yoshisada Koyama, Toshihiro Kubooka, Maki Akioka and Hiroo Kunimori
Space Communication Systems Laboratory
Wireless Network Research Institute
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
Koganei, Japan
morio@nict.go.jp

Abstract— The National Institute of Information and
Communications Technology (NICT) has successfully conducted
several laser communication experiments between geostationary
earth orbit (GEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites and
optical ground stations. To date other organizations have also
conducted many space laser communication demonstrations
worldwide and the time has come when space laser
communications can be used as operational systems. The NICT
has recently carried out the first-ever successful data
transmission from a 50-kg class micro-satellite via laser
communication links. This paper presents recent activities on
space laser communications in the NICT including the
organization’s future plans for next generation space laser
communication research aiming to achieve 10 Gbps-class and
40 Gpbs-class laser communications at GEO and LEO distances.
Keywords—laser communications; satellite communications;
laser tracking; optical ground station; quantum key distribution
maximum data rate has been increasing and two streams can
be observed. One is for high speed communications on the
order of several Gbps, for which the term “high data
throughput” is currently used. The other is for moderate speed
communications, for which the term “low complexity” is used.
The latter uses rather simple modulation and detection
methods. These two directions are now being discussed in the
Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS),
but the terms for them have not yet been finalized. High data
throughput is used for high speed data relay systems and low
complexity can be used for micro-satellites.
1.0E+12
LEO-GND
LEO-LEO TerraSAR-X
/NFIRE Copernics
GEO-LEO
Data rate [bit/sec]

1.0E+09 GEO-GND LLCD

HY-2
I. INTRODUCTION Moon-GND
OPALS
The National Institute of Information and Communications BTLS
SILEX OICETS
Technology (NICT) has developed small laser communication 1.0E+06 SOTA
terminal onboard micro-satellites [1]. The satellites are in the ETS-VI
50-kg class and house a laser communication terminal and a
small camera. Laser communication experiments have been
conducted with 10-Mbps/1-Mbps optical downlinks from the 1.0E+03
50-kg class micro-satellites. In addition to conducting basic 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
experiments for satellite quantum key distribution (QKD) and Launch year
international collaborative experiments, the NICT has also
started a feasibility study of the next generation high speed
laser communications. This paper presents the current and Fig. 1. Data rate trend for space qualified laser communication missions as a
future status on research and development of space laser function of the launch year.
communications technologies in the NICT.

II. TRENDS IN SPACE LASER COMMUNICATIONS
Table I summarizes past and future space laser
communication demonstrations. Figure 1 plots the data rate
trend for space qualified laser communication missions as a
function of the launched year. As the figure shows, the
Figure 2 compares data rates between terrestrial fiber
communications and space laser communications as a function
of the receiver sensitivity. As the figure shows, terrestrial fiber
communications have recently attained data rates on the order
of Exa-bps with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM),
space division multiplexing (SDM), and multi-level

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978-1-5090-0281-8/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE 1
 2015 IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)

modulation (m-QAM) technologies. In space laser
communications, the WDM technology is used with the aim of
achieving higher data rates. On the other hand, in long
distance communications like those for deep space missions,
technology providing high sensitivity but with lower data rates
is used. Figure 3 compares the data rates as a function of the
onboard terminal mass. Low complexity, which enables
micro-satellites with terminal mass of only a few kilograms to
be used to provide laser communications, will be used not for
high speed communication purposes but for utilizing the
mico/nano-satellite community.

TABLE I. SPACE LASER COMMUNICATION DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE PAST AND FUTURE PLANS
Asia USA Europe

Past - 1994: ETS-VI/LCE (NICT), GEO- - 1995: GOLD (NASA JPL), GEO- - 2001: SILEX (ESA), GEO-LEO,
GND, 0.8/0.5μm, IMDD, 1Mbps GND, 0.8/0.5μm, IMDD, 1Mbps GEO-GND, GEO-Air, 0.8μm,
IMDD, 50Mbps
- 2006: OICETS (JAXA/NICT), - 2000: STRV-2 (BMDO), LEO-GND,
LEO-GEO,LEO-GND, 0.8μm, Failure, 0.8μm, IMDD, 1.2Gbps - 2008: TerraSAR-X (DLR),
IMDD, 50Mbps LEO-LEO, LEO-GND, 1.06μm,
- 2001: GeoLITE (NRO), GEO-GND homodyne BPSK, 5.6Gbps
- 2011: HY-2 (China), LEO-GND,
1.5μm, IMDD, 504 Mbps - 2008: NFIRE (MDA), LEO-LEO, - 2011: BTLS (Russia), ISS-GND,
1.06μm, homodyne BPSK, 5.6Gbps 1.55μm/0.85μm, IMDD, 125Mbps
- 2015: SOCRATES/ SOTA (NICT),
LEO-GND, 0.98/1.5μm, IMDD, - 2013: LLCD (NASA GSFC), Lunar- - 2014: EDRS/Copernics (ESA),
10Mbps GND, 1.5μm, PPM, 622Mbps GEO-LEO, GEO-GND, 1.06μm,
- 2014: OPALS (NASA JPL), ISS- homodyne BPSK, ~1.8Gbps
GND, 1.5μm, IMDD, 30~50Mbps
Future - 2015: RISESAT/ VSOTA (NICT), - 2018: LCRD (NASA GSFC), GEO- - OSIRISv1-3 (DLR), LEO-GND,
plan LEO-GND 0.98/1.5μm, IMDD, LEO, GEO-GND, 1.5μm, DPSK/PPM, 1.5μm, IMDD, 20M-10Gbps
~1kbps 2.8G/622Mbps
- OPTEL-μ (RUAG), Deep space-
- Optical data relay system (JAXA) GND, LEO-GND, 1.5μm, IMDD,
2Gbps
- HICALI (NICT)

SDM/m‐QAM technique 1.0E+12
1.0E+15 Space-based
DWDM/SDM/DP DWDM/SDM/
-32QAM-OFDM 16QAM Ground-based OSIRISv3
DWDM/SDM/16QAM TerraSAR-X
DWDM/SDM/QPSK OSIRISv2 OPTEL-μ LCRD
1.0E+09 LLCD
Data rate [bit/s]

Data rate [bit/s]

1.0E+12 WDM technique OSIRISv1

DPSK OICETS
Classical limit RZ-DPSK DPSKRZ-AMI SILEX
(Shannon limit) NeFOC Digital SOTA
DPSK coherent OSIRISv3
OPTEL-μ
ETS-VI
1.0E+09
TerraSAR-X
LCRD LLCD NeLS
1.0E+06
OSIRISv2
OICETS
OSIRISv3
VSOTA
SILEX
SOTA
ETS-VI
1.0E+06 1.0E+03
1 10 100 1000 10000 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Sensitivity@BER=10-6 or 10-9 [photons/bit] Terminal mass [kg]

Fig. 2. Data rate trend between terrestrial fiber commnications and space Fig. 3. Data rate trend as a function of the terminal mass.
laser communicaitons as a function of the receiver sensitivity.

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 2015 IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)

Small satellite system

LEO satellite swarms Optical
Ground system link Direct Small 
Comm.
camera
Laser communications Small Optical 
Optical ground  TrAnsponder
station (SOTA) Image data
(NICT Koganei)
Data & control & control
signals
Control TT&C*
International institution Small satellite bus
networks TT&C* Size: ~50 cm
TT&C station
RF link Power: ~100 W
Mass: ~50 kg
: Optical ground station : Terrestrial network
Wheels: 3
Accuracy: <2 deg.
Fig. 4. Laser communication-employed DTN concept. *TT&C: Tracking, Telemetry and Control

Fig. 5. SOCRATES system configuration.

III. SMALL OPTICAL TRANSPONDER (SOTA) ONBOARD MICRO-

SATELLITES

A. DTN concept using laser communications

Figure 4 shows the delay/disruption tolerant networking
(DTN) concept using laser communications. There are many
small satellite swarms in low earth orbit (LEO) and many
optical ground stations (OGSs) on earth linked with the
terrestrial network. These use laser communications from
space to ground and establish a laser communications link to
each OGS only when there are no clouds over the individual
locations. The high-speed communication links enable
massive data volumes to be downloaded from the LEO
satellite swarms with short access time to the OGSs, and the
controlled DTN network will act as a seamless feeder link
between the LEO satellites and the ground networks by using
the handover technique in the DTN protocol. The NICT
developed a terrestrial free-space optical communications
network for the future airborne and satellite-based optical
communications testbed called IN-orbit and Networked
Optical Ground Stations Experimental Verification Advanced
Testbed (INNOVA) [2]. Several OGSs and environmental
monitoring stations around Japan were developed for site
diversity in order to increase the accessibility between space
and interoperable terrestrial systems.
B. System configuration
The NICT has begun to develop the Small Optical
TrAnsponder (SOTA) to make it suitable for usage onboard
small satellites. Figure 5 shows the configuration of the Space
Optical Communications Research Advanced Technology
Satellite (SOCRATES) project. The satellite for this project is
in the 50-kg class and embarks a SOTA terminal and a small
camera. The SOTA terminal is controlled via a tracking
telemetry and control (TT&C) link from a TT&C RF ground
station. 10-Mbps/1-Mbps optical downlinks can be conducted
between the SOTA terminal onboard the micro-satellite and a
1-m diameter optical OGS located at the NICT facility in
Tokyo.
Fig. 6. SOTA proto-flight model (left: optical part; right: electrical part).
C. Laser communication terminal, SOTA
Figure 6 shows the optical part of the SOTA proto-flight
model. The SOTA has four lasers: a 0.98-μm communication
laser (Tx 1), two lasers (Tx 2 and Tx 3) for basic experiments
for satellite QKD, and a 1.55-μm communication laser (Tx 4).
There are two sensors for acquisition and tracking. A fine
pointing mechanism (FPM) is implemented in Tx 4. The
optical head is mounted on the azimuth and elevation-driving
units. The deflectable angle is ±45°. The electrical part
comprises a receiving signal unit; FPM control unit;
transmitter laser diode control unit; calculation, control and I/F
units; power unit; and motor drivers. The small camera was
developed by the NICT and integrated in the satellite bus
system.
D. Image transmission experiments
The 50-kg class micro-satellite was launched on May 24,
2014 by the H-IIA launcher. After the satellite bus systems
and the SOTA terminal had been checked out, laser
communication experiments were conducted with 10-Mbps/1-
Mbps optical downlinks from the satellite with a 1-m OGS
telescope [2]. The image taken by the small onboard camera
(Fig. 7) was successfully downloaded via the optical link on
June 3, 2015. This was the first time data had ever been
successfully transmitted from a 50-kg class micro-satellite via
laser communication links [3].

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 2015 IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)

demonstration concept is shown in Fig. 8. The objectives of

the HICALI project are:
 In-orbit verifications of 40 Gbps-class laser
communication from LEO or 10 Gbps-class laser
communication from GEO,
 In-orbit verification of novel optical
modulation/demodulation methods,
 In-orbit verification of novel high speed optical devices,
 Acquisition of laser beam propagation data and in-orbit
experiences.
New approaches will be explored to find new usages such
as:
 Acquisition of development knowledge in conjunction
with Japanese manufacturers,
Fig. 7. Image transmitted via the optical link taken by the small onboard  Searching for new users who have the potential to use
camera on the micro-satellite. laser communications.

E. Future plans GEO satellite

1) Basic experiments for satellite QKD

The NICT plans to conduct basic experiments for satellite
QKD with the SOTA terminal [4]. The quantum bit error ratio LEO satellite Ground-GEO laser communication links
(QBER) is the most important parameter for QKD and can be ~10 Gbps
evaluated from the number of counts measured by single
photon counting modules (SPCMs). If linear polarized laser
Ground-LEO laser communication links
beams are transmitted from the SOTA onboard the micro- ~40 Gbps
satellite, the polarized laser pulses can be measured by SPCMs
on the ground and enable the polarization analysis to be Optical ground station
conducted. The basic experiments for satellite QKD will be
conducted with the aim of achieving a higher success level
after nominal experiments have been performed.
Fig. 8. Demonstration concept of the HICALI project.
2) International experiments with space agencies
In conjunction with several space agencies, the NICT has
started an international laser communication campaign
involving the use of the SOTA terminal, with the aim of
establishing an international global laser communication
network. In the course of the campaign the NICT has already
concluded research agreements with several agencies.
Through international collaborative experiments, various laser
beam propagation data will be acquired at different sites under
different atmospheric turbulence conditions. These results will
contribute to the modeling of atmospheric turbulence and the
standardization process for establishing the global laser
communication network.

IV. NEXT GENERATION LASER COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

The NICT has initiated a project called the HICALI (HIgh
Fig. 9. Critical parts developed for the HICALI project.
speed Communication with Advanced Laser Instrument)
project to facilitate next generation space laser communication
research. The aim of the project is to successfully achieve
10 Gbps-class and 40 Gpbs-class laser communications at A feasibility study for the HICALI project was conducted
geostationary earth orbit (GEO) and LEO distances. The in 2014, and to date a number of critical parts for the project
have been identified. These include devices employing
wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques, optical

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 2015 IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)
delay line interferometers, integrable tunable laser assemblies
(ITLAs), and high speed digital processing devices. Several
devices have been developed on a partial trial manufacturing
basis and evaluated for space use such as an optical transmitter,
an optical receiver, a data procession unit, and a WDM unit
(Fig. 9). The device performances were assessed during the
partial trial manufacturing stage, and the results obtained will
be used to develop breadboard models (BBMs) within this
year.
The NICT is now exploring flight opportunities and has
identified two possibilities for conducting an in-orbit
demonstration of the HICALI project. One would involve the
use of an optical data relay system that will be developed by
the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) and a
HICALI terminal that would be onboard the LEO satellite
with JAXA’s terminal, aiming to achieve 40 Gbps-class laser
communication. The other would be the use of a next
generation engineering test satellite called Engineering Test
Satellite IX (ETS-IX), in which the HICALI terminal would
be implemented with hopes of achieving 10 Gbps-class laser
communication from the GEO satellite.
V. CONCLUSION
This paper described and presented recent space laser
communications activities carried out by the National Institute
of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
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These include the world’s first in-orbit verification of space
laser communications onboard a micro-satellite and the
SOCRATES/SOTA project. It also described the HICALI
(HIgh speed Communication with Advanced Laser
Instrument) project and future plans for next generation space
laser communication research aiming to achieve 10 Gbps and
40 Gpbs laser communications at geostationary earth orbit
(GEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) distances.
References 
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