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Aoife Hegarty

Archangel Lightworks builds the future of Space-enabled network connectivity under the Future Telecommunications Challenge

Oxford, UK. (October 22, 2024) - Archangel Lightworks announces Project Illuminate kick-off as part of the Contracts for Innovation (formerly known as SBRI) Future Telecommunications Challenge.


TERRA-M, a miniature deployable optical ground station


The terrestrial networks of today are insufficient to meet demand, and yet we continue to place our ever-growing need for more data on our current technologies. Integrating Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) into future architectures allows additional capacity and resilience to be added to vulnerable networks.  


Effectively linking terrestrial and NTN to support the explosive growth of data volumes requires innovative solutions. Current approaches involving Radio Frequency (RF) links are limited by bandwidth and spectrum constraints. High volume wireless laser communication offers new opportunities. Archangel Lightworks' TERRA-M Optical Ground Station uses laser communication to move 100x the data of traditional RF backhaul solutions.  


Project Illuminate will establish bidirectional telecommunications capability to and from outer space by utilising the deployable TERRA-M Optical Ground Station. The project will showcase high-volume, optical backhaul links between terrestrial and non-terrestrial network nodes. 


Bidirectional telecommunications capability enables direct-to-earth laser communications. This is important for unlocking Earth Observation data currently stranded at the edge of existing networks, and also for supporting existing infrastructure which is vulnerable to failure, sabotage or accidental damage, and for building new infrastructure in green field locations.   


In addition to DSIT, Project Illuminate is supported by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Project Illuminate builds on work previously supported by the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, and UK Ministry of Defence. 


For more information and collaboration opportunities, visit Archangel Lightworks’ website at www.archangel.works or contact us here


Richard Johanson, CEO of Archangel Lightworks said, “Project Illuminate represents a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate advanced UK connectivity technology which will play a vital role in the coming years as networks in Space and networks on the ground become increasingly interlinked. We are grateful to and looking forward to working with DSIT and Innovate UK on this high impact project.”  


Esra Kasapoglu, Director of AI and Data Economy of Innovate UK said, “Project Illuminate and similar projects, harnessing the power of transformative technologies, are building the digital communications infrastructure of the future. They complement other investments made through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund, which are already unlocking innovation in a diverse range of industry sectors and helping to boost growth and productivity across the UK.” 


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ABOUT ARCHANGEL LIGHTWORKS   

Archangel Lightworks builds deployable communication systems to connect networks in space with networks on the ground. Today, space and terrestrial networks are not well-connected leading to insecure, insufficient, and vulnerable infrastructure. High-volume, secure links between space and ground are needed. The Archangel Lightworks team is driving down the Size, Weight, Power & Cost (SWaP-C) of optical ground terminals to make lasercom available and affordable. Archangel Lightworks’ core product, the TERRA-M, is a miniature Optical Ground Station. The TERRA-M brings deployable, resilient connectivity to wherever it is needed, helping to solve some of Earth’s most critical problems from economic inclusion to climate change. 


 

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