Space-Grade Analogue and Digital Photonics for Satellite Communications in Europe

For decades, the space industry has undergone a radical change, becoming a breeding ground not only for governments, but especially for private companies of all sectors from all over the world. This paradigm shift gives rise to the so-called new space economy, which is based on new technologies and emerging applications, leading to a redefinition of the business models of companies in the space sector. Among the various emerging technologies, photonics is one of the largest fields of expansion, transforming sectors such as telecommunications, defense, navigation, remote sensing and Earth and space observation. This tutorial provides a gentle introduction to photonics for space applications, highlighting how it is becoming established in the global market. Then, it introduces an overview of past, present and future European space missions which employ photonics as a key technology. Finally, we provide a brief description of EU actions for space-grade optical components.