Sceye and SoftBank Demonstrate Stratospheric Laser Tracking
Sceye's HAPS platform was successfully tracked via laser from the stratosphere, marking a world first. The demonstration paves the way for future optical communication links between ground, stratosphere, and space.
Aerospace firm Sceye and SoftBank Corp. have completed the world's first stratospheric laser tracking demonstration. Conducted as part of Sceye's month-long ST1 flight, the experiment successfully demonstrated the ability to track a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) in real-time from the ground and receive laser communication signals.
The demonstration involved SoftBank's ground team using a compact, portable laser telemetry system to track Sceye's HAPS platform operating in the stratosphere. A corner cube reflector, installed on the Sceye HAPS, allowed the ground system to lock onto the platform and receive reflected laser pulses. This achievement is a significant step towards establishing optical wireless communication links between the Earth, the stratosphere, and space.
SoftBank collaborated with Hitotsubashi University and Japan's National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) on the project. NIPR designed the corner cube reflector for the HAPS, while Hitotsubashi University developed the ground-based Omni-SLR laser telemetry system. Sceye provided its HAPS platform for the demonstration.
The data gathered from this experiment, including atmospheric light attenuation, will help define the operational requirements for optical communication technology to be implemented on Sceye's HAPS. Optical wireless communications are seen as a next-generation technology for high-throughput, high-capacity non-terrestrial networks, connecting satellites, HAPS, and ground infrastructure.