The collaboration will begin with an upcoming mission to qualify Transcelestial’s laser communications terminal for integration on Gilmour Space’s satellite platform, followed by an in-orbit demonstration to validate performance in real operating conditions.
The partnership will also explore the establishment of an Optical Ground Station in Queensland to support future laser-based satellite networks.
As part of the demonstration mission, Gilmour Space will fly a Transcelestial terminal aboard one of its satellites, enabling a live test of wireless optical communications in orbit.
The effort aims to address a growing challenge facing satellite operators: the widening gap between how much data modern spacecraft can generate and how quickly it can be delivered to users on the ground.
“Satellites are not just sensors in orbit anymore – they’re becoming full-blown orbital data centres, and the network layer is now falling behind,” said Rohit Jha, CEO and co-founder of Transcelestial. “Industry leaders like Gilmour Space are thinking ahead and partnering with us to change that for the AI era.”
Jha said Gilmour Space’s rapidly expanding satellite capabilities would see its satellite bus become one of the first in the world to be laser communications enabled by default.
“That puts them ahead of most bus manufacturers globally, and we’re excited to see what this unlocks for the industry,” he said. “To solidify that, we’re also rapidly moving toward our first demonstration this year and are super excited to be working with the Gilmour team.”
The planned flight comes as satellite missions increasingly rely on high-resolution sensors and time-sensitive data and connectivity workloads, placing growing pressure on traditional radiofrequency downlink systems.
Transcelestial’s laser communications technology enables high-bandwidth satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground links while also offering enhanced security. The point-to-point optical links are resistant to jamming and incorporate built-in post-quantum cryptography to support quantum-safe communications.
Gilmour Space’s head of satellites, Mark Grimminck, said data transmission remains one of the key limitations in satellite operations.
“One of the biggest constraints is getting data from the platform to the ground,” Grimminck said. “Laser communication links are one of the clearest paths to relieving that bottleneck, and our collaboration with Transcelestial is about proving how this technology performs in real operations.”
Delivery of the laser communications terminal is scheduled for May 2026, ahead of a planned in-orbit demonstration launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission later that year.
Beyond the initial downlink test, the two companies plan to explore how optical communications can support future satellite networking requirements, including satellite-to-satellite connectivity to enable more resilient, lower latency constellations.
“We’re focused on making it easier for satellite customers to adopt next-generation communications options without taking on unnecessary integration risk,” Grimminck said.
The partnership will also examine opportunities to strengthen Australia’s optical communications ecosystem, including the potential co-hosting of an Optical Ground Station in Queensland and joint applications for Australian research and development grants to support future demonstrator missions and advanced network capabilities.