ERMIS-3 links a small satellite to Greece by laser
· BehindLines newsroom
The Greek nanosatellite ERMIS-3 has established a laser link with a ground station, the European Space Agency announced in a statement published on November 2. Developed by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, this 8U CubeSat communicated with HolOGS-1, the optical station at Holomondas, Greece. ESA describes the demonstration as Greece’s first optical link with a satellite in low Earth orbit.
The onboard equipment, the ATLAS-1 terminal from Lithuanian company Astrolight, must aim at a receiver while the satellite moves at several kilometres per second. Both ends acquire each other’s signal and then maintain their alignment throughout the communication window. Clouds can block the passage of light, while atmospheric turbulence can degrade its quality. Successful pointing therefore represents an important result in itself.
This milestone forms part of a broader mission. The three ERMIS satellites were placed in orbit on March 30, 2026. In its presentation of the launch, the University of Athens explained that it intended to test several technologies developed in Greece: 5G communications for connected devices, exchanges between satellites, and Earth observation using hyperspectral imaging.
The programme also plans to process images onboard, using hardware accelerators for compression. Algorithms controlling the satellites’ orientation are intended to enable precise pointing for observation and communication. The university specifically mentioned precision agriculture among the applications under consideration. These objectives describe the scope of the ERMIS programme; they do not mean that all its experiments have now been completed.
For Earth observation, the issue extends beyond the volume of images collected: those images must also be retrieved on the ground. An optical link on a small satellite opens an avenue for this transmission, while imposing tracking and weather constraints. ESA’s statement specifies neither the exact day of the test nor its data rate. It confirms a capability demonstrated in orbit, with a satellite, a terminal and a station able to work together; this validation will need to be distinguished from the performance of a future routine service.