Celestia STS Kicks-off TOmCAT PROJECT – PHASE 2

Recently Celestia STS kicked-off the Terabit Optical Communication Adaptive Terminal (TOmCAT) Phase 2 project, which is led by TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research).

The TOmCAT project is a part of the ESA ARTES Programme Line ScyLight and is aiming to develop a ground station with high data rate laser link able to communicate with the next generation of Very High Throughput Satellites.

Celestia STS will be responsible for the design and development of Digital Processor which will be a key component of a final product for TOmCAT Systems. The Digital Processor fulfils the role that is analogous to that of a Modem in conventional RF ground station providing a link between the user data on one side and the signal for an antenna on the other. It will pass information across an Optical communications link and perform sampling of user data, processing/formatting as necessary, reception, correction and extraction/reconstruction of the user data. “We are very excited to kick off this challenging project, which keeps us at the forefront of new technology developments i.e. next generation of extremely high-speed satellite communications via Laser links - moving to Terrabit communications!”, C-STS System Engineer Bryan Tatman noted.

The project is implemented by a larger consortium composed of the leading Dutch and International aerospace companies: TNO, Airbus Defense & Space Netherlands, FSO Instruments, Hittech Multin (NL), Celestia STS (NL), MPB Communications (CA), Airbus DS SAS (FR), Eutelsat (FR) and SES (LU).