Achieving optical communication with a GEO satellite just 5° from the Sun - A World first

OGS Technologies has achieved a world first in space communication by successfully establishing optical links between the CNES optical ground station (FrOGS) and the Airbus TELEO terminal onboard a GEO satellite positioned just 5° from the Sun on March 17, 2026. This breakthrough, made possible by OGS Technologies hardware prototypes integrated within FrOGS and innovative techniques to reduce the sun exclusion angle, will dramatically enhance GEO satellite link availability.

Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) offer the potential for secure, high-throughput communications between Earth and space. However, traditional ground stations typically cease operations when satellites approach within 15°-20° of the Sun, causing hours long communication interruptions. FrOGS was specifically designed to overcome this limitation by operating as close as 5° from the Sun.

The successful demonstration on March 17, 2026 maintained a two hours of uninterrupted link as the solar angle varied between 20° and 5°, with nominal performance throughout. Both ground and in-orbit terminals received steady power, and adaptive optics systems effectively corrected atmospheric turbulence for both uplink and downlink, even in proximity to the Sun. This achievement represents a pivotal advance for operational FSOC.