SatelLight-R - Resiliente Kommunikation in zukünftigen optischen Satellitenbussystemen

Teilprojekt: Entwicklung und Analyse eines resilienten optischen Kommunikationsbusses für (voll-)optische Satellitensysteme

Project Period: 01.07.2026 - 30.06.2028

In the SatelLight-R project, the Smart Sensors Group at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), together with its partner Technische Universität Berlin, is developing and evaluating a framework for a resilient optical satellite bus based on optical wireless communication (LiFi).

The goal is to explore future satellite systems with high-performance, energy-efficient, and secure communication capabilities within the satellite platform.

Optical communication offers significant potential for future space applications, particularly through high data rates, low energy requirements, and new opportunities for system integration. SatelLight-R therefore investigates concepts for optical satellite architectures and establishes methodological foundations for the development of future (fully) optical space systems.

Research and Technical Focus

A key aspect of the project is the development and investigation of optical communication solutions for satellite buses. In addition to conventional optoelectronic transceivers, the direct integration of the optical processor developed within the OMLO2 project is being explored.

Furthermore, robust modulation and transmission schemes are investigated to ensure the reliability of optical communication links under challenging operating conditions. Security aspects also play an important role: the project analyzes potential side-channel attacks based on thermal signatures and investigates protective measures such as secure zones, optimized geometries, and optical shielding concepts.

Methodology

TUHH coordinates the joint project and is responsible for key activities related to the development and evaluation of the optical satellite bus. This includes the construction of a demonstrator, experimental modeling, and the development of a modular simulation framework.

Based on experimental measurements, abstract models for the physical layer, transceivers, and modulation schemes are derived and coupled with network simulations. This enables a comprehensive evaluation and optimization of future optical satellite systems with regard to performance, reliability, and resilience.