ERMIS-3 CubeSat demonstrates laser connection to Greek ground station

An 8U CubeSat developed by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has established a laser link with a ground station in Greece, ESA said. The ERMIS-3 demonstration used Astrolight optical terminals and validated precise pointing, signal acquisition and tracking between a moving satellite and its ground receiver. The spacecraft connected with the Holomondas Optical Ground Station using its ATLAS-1 terminal. Optical links can carry high data rates, but clouds can block them entirely and atmospheric turbulence can degrade signal quality.