UltraAir: 2.6 Gbit/s from aircraft to GEO
ESA reported the world’s first gigabit-per-second laser link between an aircraft and a geostationary satellite, sustaining an error-free 2.6 Gbit/s connection for several minutes.
- Team / system
- ESA · Airbus · TNO · TESAT
- Link geometry
- Aircraft to GEO, about 36,000 km
- Platform
- UltraAir terminal to Alphasat TDP-1
- Year / programme
- 2026
01 · SYSTEM
How it was achieved
A stabilized airborne optical terminal compensated for aircraft vibration and motion while tracking the Alphasat laser communication terminal in GEO. The demonstration combined fine steering, high-rate coherent optical communication and a long slant path through the atmosphere.
02 · EVIDENCE
Evidence snapshot
- 01
2.6 Gbit/s error-free link sustained for several minutes.
- 02
Aircraft operated from Nîmes, France.
- 03
Link closed with Alphasat TDP-1 at geostationary altitude.
- 04
ESA explicitly described the result as a world first.
03 · SIGNIFICANCE
Why it matters
The test extends space laser communication to fast-moving airborne platforms, a relevant capability for resilient backhaul and high-capacity connectivity beyond terrestrial infrastructure.
05 · REFERENCES
Sources & references
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