Northrop Grumman, in partnership with the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at the University of Western Australia, has conducted a successful demonstration of a bi-directional space-to-ground laser communication (lasercom) link in Western Australia, marking a significant milestone in laser communications.
TeraNet-2, located at a tracking facility in WA, is operated by the University of Western Australia (UWA) under the leadership of Prof. Sascha Schediwy. During the demonstration, Northrop Grumman Program Manager Jonathan Baggett and Technical Lead Dr. Sid Ghosh worked on site with UWA, overseeing integration of NG hardware, alignment and real-time troubleshooting to ensure mission success.
Using the TeraNet-2 optical ground terminal built by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), the testing validated a suite of advanced optical communications technologies demonstrating satellite tracking and bi-directional data transfer. This highlights Northrop Grumman’s focus on high-capacity, resilient optical communications architectures to support emerging civil, commercial and national security space missions.
Free space laser communications use tightly focused optical beams instead of traditional radio frequencies to move data between space and the ground. For satellite operators and mission owners, which enables:
- Much higher data rates to move massive volumes of sensor data, imagery and situational awareness products
- Reduced spectrum congestion, since optical links do not rely on scarce RF spectrum
- Inherently narrow, harder-to-intercept beams, improving resilience and security for sensitive missions
- Smaller, lighter terminals on orbit and on the ground compared with some legacy RF systems
These attributes are increasingly important as government and commercial operators field proliferated constellations and data-intensive payloads.
Rob Denney, Country Executive, Northrop Grumman Australia, said: “This demonstration is a powerful example of how Australian technology providers and Northop Grumman are working together to accelerate next-generation optical communications. This demonstration is partnership at its best, focused, practical and delivering results that matter.”
Jonathan Baggett, Program Manager, Northrop Grumman Corporation, said: “Being on the ground allowed us to fine-tune every aspect of the link in real time. The team’s dedication and collaboration were pivotal to achieving this milestone.”
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