This former thief saw the light – and now he wants to collect it all

Collecting light, decoding data

On the surface, the idea is straightforward. The spacecraft transmits data to a laser, which sends a narrow beam back to Earth. Large telescopes on the ground collect the incoming photons, and reflectors convert the light back into electricity. Advanced error correction software reconstructs the original message when many photons are lost.

The longer the distance, the more difficult it is. A laser beam from geostationary orbit, about 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above the Earth, starts at the diameter of a coffee cup, and when it reaches the Earth, it is about 1km across. The further away, the more diffuse the rock is, so ground-based telescopes can capture only a fraction of the signal from space.

The future of communication in the sky will probably be based on satellites, which are like internet routers here on Earth. “We’re going to create a system that’s going to be put into space, and it’s going to be a way to communicate with the solar system,” Roelker said.

That’s the vision, at least.

But it is starting to happen. Observable Space played a major role for supporting optical communications on Artemis II in April as it orbited the Moon. This type of high-resolution communication is expected to be similar to future Artemis missions and will make the moon more familiar.

The Australian National University provided space-to-ground laser communications for Artemis II and the Observable Space RC700 lasercom-optimized system at Mount Stromlo Observatory, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Credit: Nic Vevers/ANU

Observable Space is also talking to SpaceX and others interested in developing orbital data centers because this technology requires high bandwidth links from space to the ground. And the way to get around the clouds is to have more stations on earth. This is why Observable Space is focused on improving telescope design and lowering costs.

Advertisers are buying. In late May, the company announced that it had closed a $90 million Series A round of funding and will use the proceeds to further expand its laser communications business.

Roelker is happy to leave other companies to start the space. He sees SpaceX from the inside and knows he can’t compete with it. Likewise, there are many companies that build spacecraft and satellite buses.

What all these cars need is the law of light. Rockets, especially space shuttles, need to move. They have to see things to avoid collisions. And somehow, with all that they are collecting and processing, they must return it to Earth. Because, otherwise, what’s the point?