UK optical communications company Archangel Lightworks has completed test operations of its ultra-compact mobile optical ground station, TERRA-M, which supports laser communications with low Earth orbit satellites. The company claims the equipment is the world’s smallest deployable optical ground station that meets the U.S. Space Development Agency's laser communications standards.

IT outlet TechRadar reported on Tuesday that Archangel Lightworks verified TERRA-M’s communications performance and standards compliance through tests conducted over the past several days. It said it repeatedly confirmed whether the system meets the Space Development Agency’s optical communications requirements in a high-speed, high-security data transfer environment with low Earth orbit satellites.

TERRA-M’s biggest features are its size and mobility. The equipment is about 1.1 metres tall and 0.7 metres in diameter, much smaller than existing large satellite communications ground stations. It is designed to be quickly transported and used where needed, rather than installed permanently in a specific location.

Archangel Lightworks said it focused on maintaining high-speed optical communications while reducing the size, weight and power consumption issues of existing satellite communications infrastructure.

The company sees TERRA-M as more than a smaller device, saying it could change how satellite communications infrastructure is operated. Archangel Lightworks' CEO said, "TERRA-M can exchange data with satellites quickly and securely, yet is small enough to be rapidly deployed and moved to where it is needed."

The technology is drawing attention amid limits in existing communications networks. Global data communications currently relies mostly on terrestrial and undersea fibre-optic cable networks. But cable infrastructure has been criticised for high build-out costs and vulnerability in disasters or conflict situations.

TERRA-M aims to address those limits by carrying out direct optical communications with low Earth orbit satellites. It is being assessed as suitable for remote areas or sites with temporary communications needs because it can connect to satellite networks without building a separate large ground station.

The company also sees strong potential for use in defence as well as commercial communications. It said the system could be useful in environments that require rapid communications network build-out, such as military operations zones or disaster response sites.

The British government also attached significance to the result. UK space minister Liz Lloyd called it "an example showing that the UK’s innovation capability is leading the world in next-generation space technology."

The business base is also expanding in funding and demand. Archangel Lightworks has raised about $20 million in investment to date and recently secured an additional $13.5 million in a Series A funding round. Investors included Santander Alternative Investments, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Blackfinch Ventures and Oxford Capital.

Overseas customer acquisition is also under way. Omantel, an Omani telecoms company, signed a contract last year with Archangel Lightworks to adopt a TERRA-M-based solution. The company said it is accelerating commercialisation by pursuing equipment sales and service supply contracts.

The industry expects that if TERRA-M enters the commercial supply stage, the structure of the satellite communications market, which has centred on large fixed ground stations, could also change. It has also been suggested that as low Earth orbit satellite-based optical communications expands, demand for mobile ground stations could rise as well.