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15/04/2026
Chapter 1242 Opinion
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Actionable data from space could be transmitted in seconds in the future, thanks to advances in HydRON, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) faster and more secure laser communications network. At the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Canadian satellite communications company Kepler was awarded a contract to lead the next phase of the project.
ESA’s High Throughput Optical Network (Hydron) is designed to enable real-time data transmission between satellites and ground systems across multiple orbits. Essentially, it seeks to extend fiber-based internet infrastructure into space. Rather than relying on traditional radio links and limited ground station contacts, HydRON uses laser technology to transmit large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
The program consists of several parts. The first to establish a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, using optical links to relay data. The second extends this capability to higher orbits, connecting different orbital layers and ground infrastructure. The third focus is on bringing industry into the network, validating how different technologies and services can operate together on rails.
Kepler will start the third part of its activities under a contract worth €18.6 million awarded on April 14. The company will use their satellites to carry payloads from multiple European partners. Vyoma GmbH will provide the space situational awareness payload designed to monitor objects in orbit and help track satellites and debris. TESAT, MBRYONICS Ltd and Astrolight UAB will each provide optical communications hardware.
The contract was signed by ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity Laurent Jaffart and Kepler CEO and Co-Founder Mina Mitry in the presence of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Canadian Space Agency Director Lisa Campbell, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Kepler’s industrial partners Astrolight, TESAT, Vyoma and MBRYONICS. It builds on Kepler’s earlier role in the first elements of HydroRON and supports ESA’s wider goals of developing resilient, European-led space communications infrastructure.
Optical communications complement increasingly crowded traditional radio frequencies. In contrast, laser links can transmit greater amounts of data while reducing interference and improving security.
HydRON will demonstrate data rates in the terabits per second range and demonstrate how space-based optical networks can be seamlessly integrated with terrestrial fiber optic systems. As well as faster data transfers, the plan is also about interoperability, ensuring that technology from different European companies can work together in a single network. This is a crucial step to maintain Europe’s competitiveness in optical communications and prepare for future flexible space systems.
“Hydron will be the world’s first multi-track optical communications network with terabits per second capacity, delivering resilient and efficient data transport to meet the challenge of delivering connectivity to multiple users securely, quickly and reliably,” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity. “Today’s signing with Kepler Communications continues our collaboration on the project as they contribute their expertise alongside the consortium to deliver within Element 3; Hydron ”
“Hydron is a key initiative in advancing sovereign optical communications and enabling high-volume data transmission,” said Mina Mitry, CEO and co-founder of Kepler. “Element 3 represents a critical step toward extensive interoperability testing and providing real-time data access for a variety of applications.”
“With the further development of HydRON Element 3 and HydRON, ESA will meet the needs of its Member States for high-speed and secure communications in the air, on high-altitude pseudolites (HAPS), at sea and, in the long term, in deep space,” said Harald Hauschildt, Director of the Office of Light and Quantum Communications responsible for ESA’s Light and Quantum Communications – ScyLight project line.
