Photonics in Space: Trends from 2025

Introduction

The “optical revolution” in space is not just about laser links between satellites; it’s about the internal architecture of the payload itself. A key paper from Photonics (Vol. 12, Article 392) highlights the rapid maturation of Integrated Photonics for aerospace applications.

ArkSpace is closely monitoring this trend. Replacing copper traces with photons inside the satellite reduces weight, heat, and electromagnetic interference—critical factors for our neuromorphic payload.

Integrated Photonics (PICs)

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) shrink tabletop optical systems onto a single chip. For LEO satellites, this offers three game-changing advantages:

  1. SWaP Reduction: Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) are the currency of space. A PIC-based laser terminal fits in a 1U volume, whereas traditional bulk optics require 4-6U.
  2. Thermal Stability: Integrated waveguides are less sensitive to the extreme thermal cycling of LEO (±50°C per orbit) than discrete mirrors and lenses.
  3. Bandwidth Density: PICs enable Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) on a massive scale, pushing single-fiber throughput from Gigabits to Terabits.

Application in ArkSpace

The Optical Neural Bus

Our “Core Computing” specification relies on massive data movement between neuromorphic cores. Electronic interconnects hit a “heat wall” at high speeds. Photonics allows us to move data across the chip (or between chips) with near-zero heat dissipation.

OISL Transceivers

The 1550nm laser terminals (OISL) specified in arkspace-core will leverage Indium Phosphide (InP) or Silicon Photonics (SiPh) platforms. This integration reduces the cost of the optical front-end from $100k to potentially <$10k at scale.

Path Forward

The 2025 trends confirm that photonics is moving from “experimental” to “infrastructure.” By aligning the Exocortex Constellation with standard telecom wavelengths (C-band) and fabrication processes (CMOS-compatible SiPh), we ride the wave of commercial innovation rather than fighting against it.

Official Sources

  1. Reference Paper: “Advances in Space Photonics” (Ref: photonics-12-00392), Photonics Journal, Vol 12, 2025.
  2. Integrated Photonics: Coldren, L. A., et al. (2012). Diode Lasers and Photonic Integrated Circuits. Wiley.
  3. Space Optical Systems: Kaushal, H., & Kaddoum, G. (2017). “Optical Communication in Space: Challenges and Mitigation Techniques.” IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.