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Gooch & Housego (G&H) has announced its participation as a partner on the European project ORIONAS (Lasercom-on-chip for next generation, high-speed satellite constellation interconnectivity). The Horizon 2020 initiative with three year duration was launched on 1 November 2018 with the kick-off meeting held in Toulouse, France on 19 November 2018.

The ORIONAS project aims to disrupt the way lasercom modems are designed, built and qualified in order to enable satellite constellation lasercom links. ORIONAS will squeeze the current lasercom modems using integrated photonic components and new ultra-compact fiber-optic modules to enable next generation low SWaP-C (size, weight, power and cost) lasercom terminals.

G&H, under the project, will bring its proven expertise in space subsystem design and manufacture to the European research partnership. The company will design and manufacture compact and efficient fiber amplifier arrays for pre-amplified lasercom receivers, enabling high-speed bi-directional laser links. This will be realized through the development of a compact, rad-hard-by-design fiber pre-amplifier array module, based on its patented intellectual property. The operation of the pre-amplifier module will be validated under ionizing radiation.

The company will also be responsible for the design of the system platform and, following the design and development phase. It will perform the system integration of the complete laser transceiver through functional integration of the components developed within the project.

G&H brings a unique expertise in converting R&D into commercially viable technological solutions. Successful delivery of the project will mean using this expertise to meet the demanding system price target required in satellite constellation applications.