Vexlum to develop a yellow guide star laser for the European Space Agency to accelerate high-bandwidth satellite communication deployment

Vexlum has entered into a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at enabling broad access to more telescopes around the world to use high-bandwidth optical communication between the Earth and orbiting satellites through the eventual development of a VECSEL-based adaptive optics system. These yellow lasers will make it possible for a larger number of telescopes to communicate large datasets, such as hyperspectral images, in near real-time.

Currently, the benefits of adaptive optical correction systems are limited to large telescopes with the space and budget to operate systems that overcome imaging fuzziness created by atmospheric air currents. Vexlum’s technology addresses the key challenges of space-to-ground optical links, including turbulent air currents and the slower transfer speeds of radio waves, by eliminating the need for the massive, costly yellow lasers used in ELTs.

By making adaptive optics accessible to smaller telescopes, Vexlum’s approach opens the door to faster delivery of critical information, such as hyperspectral imaging for monitoring wildfires, floods, and ecosystems, as well as more precise tracking of satellites and space debris to enable trajectory corrections and collision avoidance.

“With the growing number of satellite constellations and the demand for greater data volume, we are at a pivotal moment for space communications,” said Andrea Di Mira, Optical System Engineer at ESA/ESOC European Space Operations Centre. “This contract with Vexlum directly supports our goals in Europe of advancing optical ground station technology by significantly reducing costs and complexity – key aspects for high-speed optical links. By enabling more ground stations, including compact and automated solutions, to support high-throughput data transfers, we are not only addressing current communication bottlenecks but also building a more robust, scalable, and accessible infrastructure for the future of Earth observation, space exploration, and global connectivity.”

First, the work will focus on developing and prototyping a new laser system that can generate an artificial guide star in the atmosphere. This virtual reference point allows telescopes to precisely measure and correct for atmospheric distortions, ensuring that high-speed laser links remain stable and efficient, regardless of atmospheric conditions or time of day.

The compact size of Vexlum’s lasers makes the technology more accessible for use by smaller telescopes and observatories around the world with smaller budgets. Reducing the cost of yellow lasers by 50%, one-meter class telescopes can participate in the high-tech communication network previously limited to much larger, more expensive observatories.

“We are excited to have been awarded this major development contract that builds on our unique laser-system platform exploiting the Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VECSEL) concept. Our laser systems have already seen a rapid market adoption in quantum technology applications, for example, atomic clocks, semiconductors, and quantum computing,” said Jussi-Pekka Penttinen, CEO and Co-founder of Vexlum. “VECSELs present an ideal technology for creating laser spectral colors for special applications that benefit from a smaller, cost-effective format than existing solutions. Delivering a high-power yellow laser tuned to the sodium line allows telescopes to correct atmospheric aberrations, leading to clearer observation of celestial objects.”

VECSELs have a wide variety of future applications, including medical diagnostics, precision manufacturing, and high-resolution scientific imaging.