Symposia: Is Now the Right Time to Construct Satellite Networks through Inter-Satellite and Satellite-Ground Laser Communications?

Building on the momentum of 6G initiatives and the industry’s push toward “optical networks in the sky,” and the growing maturity of inter-satellite and satellite-to-ground laser communication technologies, this workshop explores the role of laser connectivity in enabling next-generation satellite networks (e.g., based on Low Earth Orbit – LEO – satellites) and in integrating space assets into the global optical fabric.

Experimental demonstrations have already validated the feasibility of high-capacity free-space optical (FSO) links, while advances in laser technology are paving the way for new architectures where optical and other wireless communication techniques coexist.

The integration of terrestrial and satellite networks is a fundamental enabler for future 6G systems, combining the high capacity and low latency of terrestrial infrastructures with the global coverage, flexibility, and resilience of satellite networks. This integration becomes even more challenging – and more relevant – in view of the expected expansion of data centers and computing infrastructures in space.

A unified terrestrial–space networking and computing architecture will enable seamless connectivity, dynamic resource orchestration, and end-to-end service continuity across heterogeneous network domains, supporting emerging applications requiring ubiquitous and reliable communication.

The workshop will address the challenges of designing, orchestrating, and controlling multi-orbit optical infrastructures, network and space computing, IP-over-laser networking, satellite–ground optical backhaul, Software Defined Networking (SDN), automated resource management, integration of terrestrial and space infrastructures, and seamless terrestrial handovers.

By bringing together researchers and industry experts, the workshop aims to define the roadmap toward resilient space-based networks delivering fiber-like performance beyond the atmosphere.

Topics to Be Covered

• How will the role of lasers and all-optical switching evolve in satellite networks?
• Which will be the architecture of satellite networks and of the switches onboard on satellites?
• How will 6G and satellite networking requirements impact FSO design?
• How will fading and turbulence effects be overcome? Will multiple mitigation techniques coexist and how?
• Which requirements should drive the design and development of SDN controllers and control protocols?
• What is the role of data centers in space and how can optics support them?
• How to unify the orchestration and control of terrestrial and satellite networks?
• What are the ultimate limits of bandwidth per km² that LEO-based satellite networks can realistically achieve?