The Digester

ESA and China report gigabit laser links to geostationary satellites

Mar 20th 2026

The European Space Agency and China’s Institute of Optoelectronics each report successful gigabit optical links to geostationary satellites, demonstrating precision pointing and adaptive optics that could enable high orbit data transfer and onboard satellite processing.

  • ESA says an Airbus terminal achieved an error free 2.6 Gbps laser link to Alphasat TDP 1 at about 36,000 kilometers for several minutes on February 26.
  • China’s Institute of Optoelectronics reports a symmetrical 1 Gbps link to a satellite about 40,000 kilometers away held for three hours after a four second acquisition using a 1.8 meter ground station.
  • Both tests relied on extreme pointing precision and real time atmospheric correction, with China highlighting closed loop tracking, high order adaptive optics, and mode diversity coherent reception.
  • Researchers say GEO laser links face larger latency and stronger atmospheric distortion than low Earth orbit links, making pointing and adaptive optics the critical technical challenges.
  • If reliable, high orbit laser links could let satellites receive complex instructions and do more onboard processing rather than acting only as data relays.
  • Networking work is needed to adapt internet protocols for nodes that can disappear behind planets or endure seconds to minutes of latency.

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