Hanwha unveils Korea’s first laser communications technology for ISL

The actual ISL equipment for low-earth orbit satellites exhibited at ‘KADEX 2024’. (Hanwha Systems)

South Korea’s Hanwha Systems has successfully developed laser communication technology for inter-satellite links (ISL), commonly referred to as “space internet.” The company announced on Tuesday that it completed its first mid-range communication performance test for ISL equipment designed for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The test, conducted from October 8th to 10th, 2024, at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), marks a significant step in the development of high-speed space internet.

The test evaluated the ISL equipment’s communication performance over 1.4 kilometers, recording a data transmission speed of 1 Gbps (gigabits per second). Despite the presence of atmospheric disturbances and other variables such as weather and terrain, which are more challenging than the conditions in space, the equipment successfully demonstrated long-range laser communication capabilities.

This is the first time a Korean company has developed and successfully tested ISL equipment, according to Hanwha Systems. ISL technology enables data transmission between satellites using lasers, a crucial element for next-generation low-earth orbit satellite communication, which aims to provide ultra-fast space internet services.

Once communication between satellites in a LEO satellite constellation becomes feasible, it will enable high-speed, cross-border communication from a single ground station, without the need for additional infrastructure. This model envisions placing hundreds to thousands of satellites at altitudes between 200 to 2,000 kilometers, offering internet services at 4G LTE and 5G speeds without relying on terrestrial networks. Such technology could resolve communication challenges in remote or isolated areas such as mountains, jungles, oceans, and polar regions, as well as in war zones.

The use of lasers in ISL technology allows for the transmission of large amounts of data without delay or interruption, making it a superior solution for high-speed communication. Only a few countries, including the United States, Germany, and Japan, currently possess ISL technology. Global aerospace companies such as SpaceX and Amazon are leading efforts to build space internet networks using ISL-equipped LEO satellites.

Hanwha Systems has been developing ISL technology since 2021 in collaboration with the Advanced Photonics Research Institute under the GIST, leveraging over 40 years of experience in electro-optics and laser technology.