Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL), led by Hiroaki Kitano, has just achieved a significant milestone in space communication technology. Utilizing the Quantum Small Optical Link (QSOL) installed on the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station (ISS), they successfully transmitted video data via gigabit Ethernet to the optical ground station of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) on Earth.
This technology enables video data transmission using the free-space optical Ethernet communication standard developed by Sony CSL. The QSOL is part of the Secure Laser Communications Terminal for Low Earth Orbit (SeCRETS) project, developed by various institutions, including NICT, NeSTRA, the University of Tokyo, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, and Sony CSL, at the request of the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. SeCRETS was launched to the ISS on August 2, 2023, and installed on the i-SEEP Small Experiment Platform, which is replaceable outside “Kibo.”
In this experiment, QSOL utilized a compact periscope gimbal system to track the uplink from NICT’s portable optical ground station and then transmit video data back to Earth. This data was successfully received by NICT’s 1.5-meter optical ground station, demonstrating the effectiveness of QSOL in performing optical transmission in orbit.
This achievement is not the first for Sony CSL. In 2020, they successfully transmitted high-definition (HD) image data via Ethernet, making them the first in the world to create a link using laser communication devices designed for small satellites. This was followed by the first downlink success at a commercial optical ground station in 2021.
This latest success showcases Sony CSL’s capability in performing reliable data transmission between space and Earth. They see great potential in the commercial applications of this technology in the future, paving the way for wider social implementation.
