European Space Agency (ESA) has been implementing, since 2019, the HydRON (High-thRoughput Optical Network) Project within the ESA ScyLight Strategic Programme Line. HydRON aims to build a network of high-capacity optical inter-satellite links and ground-satellite links that interconnect space assets with each other and with ground networks, and that seamlessly extends the terrestrial optical transport networks into space. Data repatriation from satellite and airborne users, feeder link communications to telecommunication satellite operators, high-capacity connectivity to remote private networks, and dynamic peering to terrestrial network operators are four high-level services that may be provided by HydRON. This paper presents the outcomes of the HydRON Vision Phase-A studies led by Airbus Defense and Space (Germany) and Thales Alenia Space (Italy), completed in 2021. These HydRON Vision Phase-A studies aimed at investigating end-to-end system architectures, and identify key elements of the system architecture such as optical ground-satellite links, high data rate WDMs for optical inter-satellite links, on-board switching and routing in optical and/or electrical domains, seamless integration into terrestrial networks, and control and management protocols. The results of the HydRON Vision from those Phase-A studies described in this paper provided the basis for the definition of the HydRON Demonstration System in the currently running Phase-A/B1 studies, which focus on the in-orbit demonstration of a subset of the key technological elements and the validation of the most relevant operational concepts.
Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.
HydRON (High thRoughput Optical Network) is a project of the European Space Agency (ESA) initiated in 2019. HydRON ambitions to extend high-capacity terrestrial networks into space, seamlessly and by interconnecting all kind of space assets across different orbits and terrestrial networks (i.e., 3-dimensional optical network). The targeted capacity performance is orders of magnitude greater compared to today’s satcom systems (terabit/sec in contrast to gigabit/sec). This paper will present an overview of the HydRON-DS concept, including a summary of the technical baseline and associated programmatics submitted for approval at the ESA Ministerial Council in 2022.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.