Sceye and SoftBank Corp. demonstrate laser tracking of stratospheric platform
Sceye and SoftBank Corp. successfully tracked a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) from the ground using laser technology in a world-first demonstration.
US-based aerospace and materials science company Sceye has completed the world's first demonstration of stratospheric laser tracking. Conducted in collaboration with SoftBank Corp., the experiment was part of Sceye's ST1 flight, during which its HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) was tracked from the ground. SoftBank led the operation in partnership with Hitotsubashi University and the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR).
The demonstration aimed to explore the installation of optical wireless communication equipment on Sceye's HAPS platform and to gather data for future optical communication between earth, the stratosphere, and space. NIPR designed a corner cube reflector (CCR) for the HAPS, and SoftBank developed the unit housing the CCR. Sceye installed the CCR on its platform, which completed the first-ever HAPS flight over Japan.
A compact, portable laser ranging system, based on the Omni-SLR system developed by Hitotsubashi University, was used for ground-based tracking of the HAPS. Laser pulses were directed at the platform operating in the stratosphere, and the system successfully tracked Sceye's HAPS in real-time, continuously receiving reflected laser signals.
Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, founder and CEO of Sceye, stated that the demonstration showcases what can be achieved in building a robust infrastructure layer in the stratosphere. "The ability to connect earth, stratosphere, and space via optical links can fundamentally change how information travels securely worldwide," he said. The collected data will help define operational requirements for future optical communication technology on Sceye's HAPS platforms.