Sony Space Communications Information

Sony Group has been conducting research and development of optical communications systems at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. to enable high-speed data communications over long distances in a form that can be mounted on micro satellites. By applying the optical disc technology that Sony Group has cultivated over many years in the development and production of CD players and other products, it aims to realize optical communications devices that are ultra-compact, lightweight, mass producible, and can withstand harsh environments such as space. In 2020, SOLISS (Small Optical Link for International Space Station) was installed in the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" of the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It established a bidirectional laser communications link with a space optical communication ground station of the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and successfully transmitted high-definition image data via Ethernet protocols. In 2021, this experimental device successfully established optical downlinks from space to a commercial optical ground station of Kongsberg Satellite Services in Greece. In 2022, in collaboration with JAXA, an experiment on complete data file transfer in a simulated error-prone communications environment, which will be the technological basis for Internet services through stratospheric and low-Earth orbit optical communications, was successfully conducted. SSCC aims to promote the use of optical communications in space and to contribute to the improvement of convenience in peoples' lives, including through the expansion of socioeconomic activities.