QRBIT is proud to announce our successful participation in a collaborative experimental campaign with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and the National Observatory of Athens (NOA).
In March 2026, we tested low-elevation space-to-ground optical links between JAXA’s LUCAS geostationary satellite and Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) in Athens and Thessaloniki. Extending these GEO links to lower angles substantially increases geographic coverage for satellite systems.
Campaign Highlights:.
- Extremly Low Elevation: We successfully tracked and acquired LUCAS signal at elevation angles below 9° using 28 and 35 cm aperture optical telescopes.
- Site Diversity: LUCAS terminal successfully demonstrated site diversity by repointing its laser communication terminal between the Athens and Thessaloniki stations within the same experimental session
- Streamlined Operations: The experiments validated that omitting the raster scan phase can significantly reduce the initial acquisition complexity and operational resources required at the OGS level.
These preliminary results pave the way for reliable, low-elevation classical and quantum optical communications. Further details of this campaign will be presented in the paper, “Paving the Path for Low-Elevation Space-to-Ground Optical Communication Links: Preliminary Link Experiments,” at the upcoming ICSO Conference from October 12–16 in Sorrento, Italy.
