Thales Alenia Space is pleased to
announce the launching of the new
European project HIPPO (High-Power
Photonics for Satellite Laser
Communications and On-Board Optical
Processing), entailing the development
of reliable and robust high-power
photonic components for future satellite
payloads. Co-funded by the European
Union, this R&D project is being
conducted by prime contractor Gooch &
Housego, in partnership with Thales
Alenia Space, III-V lab, Constelex and
Fiberware.
The HIPPO project involves the design
and development of a new family of
high-power photonic components robust to
space environment. They will be used for
spaceborne telecommunications, to
provide laser optical links for both
inter-satellite and ground-satellite
connections. These optical technologies
will also be incorporated in telecom
payloads to handle various processing
duties, including optical frequency
conversion, routing, optical channel
processing, etc.
In this three-year project, Thales
Alenia Space is in charge of specifying
and defining the application framework.
High-power optical components are one of
the keys to the development of photonic
payloads. By developing design and
manufacturing expertise in this field,
Europe will enhance its independence.
