ESA begins next phase of 'fibre in the sky' optical communications project with Canada

Written by Copernical Team Wednesday, 15 April 2026 07:10

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HydRON optical communication for broadband in space

Actionable data from space could be delivered in seconds in the future, thanks to progress towards the European Space Agency’s (ESA) faster and more secure laser communications network, HydRON. At the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Canadian satellite communications company Kepler was awarded a contract to lead the next phase in the project’s evolution.

Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity shaking hands with Mina Mitry, Kepler Communications CEO

Optical communications complement traditional radio frequencies, which are becoming increasingly congested. By contrast, laser links allow more data volumes to be transmitted, with reduced interference and higher security.

HydRON will demonstrate data rates in the terabit‑per‑second range and show how space‑based optical networks can integrate seamlessly with ground fibre systems. Beyond faster data delivery, the programme is also about interoperability, namely ensuring that technology from different European companies can work together within a single network. This is a key step in keeping Europe competitive in optical communications and in preparing future flexible space systems.

“HydRON will serve as the world’s first multi-orbital optical communications network with a terabit per second capacity, offering resilient and efficient data transfer to address the challenges of bringing connectivity to multiple users securely, quickly and reliably,” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity. “Today’s signature with Kepler Communications continues our collaboration on the project, as they contribute their expertise in concert with their consortium to deliver within Element 3; the component of HydRON that’s key to building new industrial capabilities, demonstrating new service concepts, fostering system extensions, and promoting international cooperation and interoperability.”

“HydRON is a key initiative in advancing sovereign optical communications and enabling high-capacity data transport,” said Mina Mitry, CEO and Co-Founder of Kepler. “Element 3 represents a critical step in broad interoperability testing and delivering real-time access to data for various applications.”

“With HydRON Element 3 and further HydRON evolutions, ESA will respond to the needs of its Member States for high speed and secure communications across air, High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS), maritime and - in the longer term - deep space communications,” said Harald Hauschildt, Head of the Optical and Quantum Communication Office in charge of ESA’s Optical and Quantum Communications – ScyLight programme line.