Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Beam me up! Thales & Goonhilly Earth Station collaborate on research into laser beams as data pipes

10/06/2021

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Thales Australia has signed a major research extension with the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for the development of Advanced Optical Communications technologies for transmission through Earth's Turbulent Atmosphere.

The research extension builds upon initial feasibility work conducted over the past 12 months, and provides a three-year commitment from SmartSat to fund the next phase of this new communications technology that uses laser beams to carry high data rate communications through space.

The project will develop an advanced optical communications system that has been shown to support optical fibre-like data transfer rates over atmospheric free-space communication links, using active optics technology and a free-space coherent phase-stabilisation system. The project will focus on deploying this technology to demonstrate feasibility over vertical free-space communications links through Earth's turbulent atmosphere, starting with low-altitude targets, progressing to light aircraft and stratospheric vehicles. Preliminary work has already demonstrated successful communication over 2.4 km and 10 km horizontal free-space links.

Led by Dr. Sascha Schediwy from the University of Western Australia, in collaboration with Goonhilly Earth Station, the University of Western Australia (UWA), the University of South Australia (UniSA), and Defence Science & Technology (DST), the project supports the commitments made by Thales Australia's Strategic Statement of Intent signed with the Australian Space Agency in December 2019, and is indicative of opportunities for new space projects that will flow from the SmartSat CRC initiative.

This project is an important step towards the ultimate objective of achieving high data rate satellite to ground optical communications, and is a great example of how large organisations like Thales can work in partnership with the Australian research community to develop the next generation of space technologies, while also generating opportunities for local manufactures to feed into our global product supply chain.

Michael Clark, Director Technical Strategy, Thales Australia and New Zealand

Goonhilly Earth Station is a world-class facility at the forefront of both satellite and deep space communications. Goonhilly's future ground terminals in the UK and overseas will incorporate free space coherent optical communications capabilities and this aligns perfectly with the strategic objectives of Thales.

Dr Bob Gough, Head of Business Development, Australia & APAC, Goonhilly Earth Station

This project reflects the fertile environment provided by SmartSat to grow our sovereign space capability, combining the experience of international companies Goonhilly Earth Station and Thales Australia with local researchers at the University of Western Australia, the University of South Australia, and Defence Science & Technology. Optical communication links are poised to become the only viable solution to meet the data transfer needs of future space communication systems in the rapidly growing $400 billion global space economy.

Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer, SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre.

The project aims to develop and demonstrate high-speed, free-space optical communications via laser links between a ground station and airborne vehicles.

Dr Sascha Schediwy, Project Lead, University of Western Australia.

About Thales in Australia Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Thales Australia employs around 3,800 people directly and supports over 1,700 job along its Australian supply chain. In 2019 Thales Australia spent $522 million with 1,362 Australia suppliers, of which 70% are SMEs.

Thales Australia has a history of patient investment to build advanced in-country capability across manufacturing, critical systems and services. Close collaborative relationships with local customers, Australian SME suppliers and research institutions combined with technology transfer from our global business enables Thales to tailor high quality solutions for Australian and export markets, generating revenue of $1.6 billion in exports over the past 10 years.

About SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre brings together over 100 national and international partners who have invested over $190 million, along with $55 million in Federal Government funding under its Cooperative Research Centre Program, in a $245 million research effort over seven years.

Contact

Press Contact: Alasdair Cameron

+61 (0)2 8037 6032 / +61 (0)404 073 169 alasdair.cameron@thalesgroup.com.au
LINK: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/australia/press-release/beam-me-thales-...
See more stories from thales

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

03/09/2026

Accedo and MediaKind Launch End-to-End Streaming Solution...

Accedo, a global provider of video streaming software and services, and MediaKind, a world-leading video technology company and the number one independent provi...

03/09/2026

14 Percent of live sports viewers have considered switchi...

International research from Big Blue Marble puts a consumer churn number against a technical failure, and sets out what streaming providers must fix before 2030...

03/09/2026

Broadpeak expands CDNaaS for streaming at scale with new...

High-performance points of presence power video streaming delivery to large audiences across Latin America with guaranteed quality of experience Broadpeak , a ...

03/09/2026

Dalia Delivers New Agentic Workflows Changing How Media W...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, will unveil the next evolution of Dalia at IBC2026 (7.A43), its media-aware agent...

03/09/2026

CGI showcases AI-assisted newsroom and radio workflows pa...

CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the world's largest independent IT and business consulting services firms, will showcase CGI OpenMedia Evolve and CGI d...

03/09/2026

LiveU Joins IBC Accelerator Smart Stories Consortium to D...

LiveU is participating in the IBC Accelerator Incubator 2026: Smart Stories The New Knowledge Architecture for Content Production, an industry-wide initiative...

03/09/2026

Christer Palsson brings global experience to Broadcast So...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, has taken another major step in its...

03/09/2026

Quortex brings AI and IP transition into focus at IBC 202...

Quortex today announced that it will showcase how it is accelerating innovation and the transition to IP at IBC 2026. The company will debut its newest intellig...

03/09/2026

Grass Valley Names Ronny Van Geel Vice President Of Cameras

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

VisualOn and EZDRM Enable Visualization of C2PA Provenanc...

The EZDRM approach to Revenue Security on streaming video can be visualized as a multi-dimensional set of solutions. A growing dimension of that approach is the...

03/09/2026

Kiloview Brings Hybrid AV-over-IP to Life at IBC 2026 wit...

From field capture to management, control and production, Kiloview will demonstrate one connected Hybrid AV-over-IP workflow including a complete 4RU producti...

03/09/2026

Mediagenix Curation Unlocks Greater Catalog Value Through...

Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced Mediagenix Curation, a new...

03/09/2026

LucidLink brings distributed media into active workflows...

LucidLink, the Emmy-winning cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced the next step in its vision to make ...

03/09/2026

Fraudulent communications purportedly from Screen Australia

Fraudulent communications purportedly from Screen Australia 3 September 2026 Screen Australia is aware of scam attempts involving fake emails and promotional m...

03/09/2026

AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor

AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor Brie Clayton September 2, 2026 0 Comments AJA Video Systems unveiled FS8, a video a...

03/09/2026

Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton September 2, 2026 0 Comments Bringing a small story to the big screen with dark com...

03/09/2026

OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companies

OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companie...

03/09/2026

East of Texas Opens at American Tobacco Campus, Bringing North Carolina's First Tex-Mex BBQ Concept to Durham

DURHAM, N.C. - East of Texas Durham has officially opened its doors at American ...

03/09/2026

Is Six-Seven over? Comedian Tony Cantwell gets the low-down from kids in new RT KIDS series, First Class Take

First Class Takes is a new six-part series for RT KIDS that captures funny, hon...

03/09/2026

NBA 2K27' With NVIDIA DLSS 5 Leads 26 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW

September is here with 26 more games streaming on GeForce NOW this month, led by a slam dunk: NBA 2K27 with the NVIDIA DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering feature...

02/09/2026

SVG Venues & Teams Summit 2026: All Sessions Now Available To Watch on SVG PLAY

Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...

02/09/2026

SoFi Stadium Completes Broadcast Infrastructure Upgrade

SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...

02/09/2026

IBC 2026: Comcast Technology Solutions Unveils AI-Powered Workflow Applications

Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...

02/09/2026

NABA and APWPT Announce Partnership on Wireless Spectrum Advocacy

The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...

02/09/2026

Prime Video Lands Exclusive In-Market Streaming Rights for Six NHL Teams Beginning This Season

Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...

02/09/2026

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Goes Mini: Nine-Year-Old Venue Continues to Innovate With Control Room Mini Halo Board

New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...

02/09/2026

Keeley Electronics launch the Tube Drive

Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...

02/09/2026

Lewitt introduce Space Replicator Free

Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...

02/09/2026

Stereophonic Bundle from AIR Music Tech

Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...

02/09/2026

Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving feature SSSG for 5G NR

Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...

02/09/2026

AgileTV and Fiend MTS Complete CDN Watermarking Integration to Fast-Track Anti-Piracy Protection for Operators

Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...

02/09/2026

Agentic AI in the content supply chain

Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority When AI can generate a functional interface ...

02/09/2026

Gracenote study: 85% of sports fans want TV home screens to show when and where to watch favorite teams

Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...

02/09/2026

Manfrotto Showcases New Video Support Solutions at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Mediagenix Rebrands Spideo as Mediagenix Curation

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Creative Technology Group Founder Graham Andrews Sets Year-End Exit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

San Antonio Spurs, DAZN Ink Exclusive Streaming Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

DPA Launches 6388 CORE Headset Microphone With Shifted Ac...

KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...

02/09/2026

Pliant Technologies Spotlights CrewCom CXD 32CF Dante AES...

Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...

02/09/2026

iWedia Enhances Teatro Pulse with Edge AI Self-Healing an...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...

02/09/2026

Signiant Accelerates More Than File Transfers at IBC2026

Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...

02/09/2026

Calrec Argo M Powers Cloudbass Next Generation OB Fleet

With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...

02/09/2026

IBC2026 puts sport at the winning end of media innovation

IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...

02/09/2026

PTZOptics Demonstrates the Power of Intelligent Multicame...

PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...

02/09/2026

OOONA Launches OOONA Go

OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...

02/09/2026

EON Media launches AI media activation and monetization s...

EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...

02/09/2026

Frequency Defines the Intelligent Channel at IBC2026

Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...