The Japanese technology leading the way to making the "spaceified internet" a reality

Key members of JAXA and NEC discuss the reasons behind the success of the LUCAS project—an optical inter-satellite communication system enabling high-volume, high-speed data transmission—and their visions for the future.

LUCAS system to open up new possibilities in space with inter-satellite optical communication

The Laser Utilizing Communication System (LUCAS) is an inter-satellite optical communication system that links earth observation satellites and optical data relay satellites via optical communications to enable the collection and high-speed transmission of large volumes of data. We will introduce the differences between optical communication and conventional communications, the technology used in optical communication, and the social value the LUCAS system can deliver.

Team members on the frontlines of the LUCAS project who helped to bring optical communications to the unknown frontiers in space

NEC is responsible for the design, development, and manufacturing of the optical communication system for JAXA's LUCAS inter-satellite optical communication system. The members of the team who were responsible for this work talk about the challenges they faced and the hard work and passion they put into completing the LUCAS project