Hikaru

A photonic chip the size of a fingernail will replace bulky electronics in satellite communication systems, sending data via laser light instead of radio waves. The HIKARU project is building a complete optical transceiver subsystem—the part that transmits and receives signals—using a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) as its core. Current satellite links are limited by the weight, power consumption, and bandwidth of radio-frequency hardware. Laser-based systems can carry far more data per second while using less electricity and weighing less, which matters enormously for satellites where every kilogram and watt is precious. The consortium includes a chip designer, a connector specialist, and RAL Space, the UK’s national space laboratory, which will test prototypes against the harsh conditions of launch and orbit. If successful, the project will establish a UK manufacturing supply chain for these components and feed into emerging international standards for photonic chips in space. The immediate impact is on satellite communications—faster internet from orbit, better Earth observation data downlinks—but the underlying photonic technology could eventually ripple into terrestrial fibre networks, data centres, and defence systems.