Lasercom-on-chip for next generation, high-speed satellite constelation interconnectivity

ended

The satellite market experiences a paradigm shift with the rise of satellite constellations that are changing the satellite volume launched from now on. Under increasing capacity requirements, primes admit that lasercom is required to connect their constellations at high speeds not possible with RF equipment. This is shaping a unique opportunity for the penetration of optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) into a market that will only grow. The deal for OISLs is clear; low cost, size, weight and power consumption (C-SWAP), but the current tools and methods used to make OISL systems are fundamentally incompatible with this requirement and the jump to satellite lasercom is a jump to higher complexity. ORIONAS aims to provide the technology that will disrupt the way lasercom systems are designed, built and tested and hit the right C-SWAP targets. ORIONAS invests in monolithic integration within European BICMOS and InP foundries for cost-effective access to high performance technologies. Using its photonics BICMOS integration platform, ORIONAS will squeeze lasercom transceivers into a few mm^2 demonstrating modulator/driver electronic-photonic IC (ePIC) being >2 orders of magnitude smaller than state-of-the-art space (SOTA) qualified modulators and receiver ePICs being 3 orders of magnitude smaller than conventional free space optics receivers used in current lasercom modems. ORIONAS will develop a Hi-rel packaging technology to deliver all-laser weldable, hermetic transceivers that will be 20 times faster and 16x times smaller than current SOTA lasercom systems and with power dissipation in the order of a few pJ/bit. Using InP integration ORIONAS will fabricate SOAs being 2 orders of magnitude smaller than current space qualified high power fiber amplifiers and >10x times more powerful than current commercial SOAs. ORIONAS will system integrate the ePIC and SOA modules into its lasercom mini-modem platform and will test it within the test facilities of the end user.