In October, TNO won second prize in the ‘Impact Delivered’ category at the 16th EARTO Innovation Awards for the CubeCAT laser communication terminal, developed as a PPP project under the Holland High Tech scheme until 2023. This technology, currently on board a satellite in orbit, uses light waves instead of radio waves, allowing for higher capacity and faster, more secure connections. In January of this year, data was successfully transmitted from CubeCAT to a ground station in The Hague, marking a world first with Dutch technology. The award was presented during a special ceremony in Brussels, attended by a wide range of political figures and other stakeholders. We are proud of TNO and are happy to support these types of innovations, as they contribute to a strong innovative future for the Netherlands.
Laser Satellite Communication
With the rapidly increasing data consumption of smart technologies, there is a greater need than ever for faster and more secure communication. The current radio spectrum is not capable of processing all this data in the future. Laser communication technology offers a promising solution. This technology uses laser beams to transmit data over long distances, connecting ground stations, satellites, aircraft and drones. It achieves data rates that are 100 to 1000 times faster than current radio frequencies. Moreover, it is more secure, because it uses very narrow optical laser beams instead of wide radio signals.
Kees Buijsrogge, Director TNO Space:
This recognition is a tribute to five years of dedication. Terminals like CubeCAT will fundamentally change the way we transmit data from space and strengthen the technological sovereignty of the Netherlands within Europe and NATO.
Recent successful demonstration
In January 2024, a successful connection was established between the CubeCAT terminal on a Norwegian satellite and the TNO optical ground station in The Hague. This successful field test marked a world first for high-speed optical communication to Earth using a small (10x10x10 cm) and lightweight optical terminal with Dutch technology.
Rapidly growing market
The global demand for applications and components for laser satellite communication is expected to grow rapidly. The Netherlands has the ecosystem and capacity to develop series production of high-quality instruments for this market. FSO Instruments, founded in 2023, is the first Dutch company in this field and develops and manufactures optical heads for laser communication terminals. CubeCAT is now commercially available through FSO Instruments and their partner AAC Clyde Space.
Partners
TNO has been developing and building optical instrumentation for use in space for decades. The CubeCAT terminal was developed by TNO in close collaboration with AAC Hyperion (part of AAC Clyde Space(opens in new window) for the on-board electronics, drivers and software, and Gooch & Housego (laser transmitter). The development was financed by funds from the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) via the ESA ARTES ScyLight programme and the innovation budget of the Dutch Ministry of Defence). TNO also contributed to the co-financing of this programme. This project was co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, via Top Sector High Tech Systems and Materials (Holland High Tech).