Craft Prospect begins PERSEUS project to test space laser communications

Glasgow-based space company Craft Prospect began the PERSEUS project, announced on Oct. 27, 2026, working with Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics and Vector Photonics to test whether lasers can operate in space and carry optical links between spacecraft and ground stations.

PERSEUS stands for PCSEL Environmental and Radiation Sensitivity: Evaluation for Use in Space. The project will assess whether photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers can work in space and offer a distinct capability for space-to-space and space-to-ground networking. PERSEUS will expose the lasers to conditions relevant to deployment, check their compatibility with representative spacecraft hardware, and identify the engineering steps required for a commercial solution. The expansion means the work centres on evaluation before deployment.

Craft Prospect says PCSEL technology could address limits of existing optical and radio-frequency systems in space, supporting longer-range, higher-capacity and more secure free-space optical connections. Those connections could serve ground stations, satellites and deeper-space assets.

The Advanced Connectivity Technologies programme, delivered by Innovate UK and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, pays for the work. The programme created a public funding stream shortly before the PERSEUS announcement. Minister Ian Murray announced the ACT R&D Programme during a speech at Connected Britain on Sept. 9, 2026.

Testing will cover radiation, vibration and thermal-vacuum conditions to improve understanding of how the devices perform in launch and space environments. The partners will run long-range, high-bandwidth free-space demonstrations to show early performance levels and generate evidence about link performance over distance, and will demonstrate end-to-end data transmission using flight-representative hardware.

Beyond component tests, the team will develop mission concepts that use PCSEL capabilities, and the results will inform a future communications system design concept and an engineering roadmap. The work sets out the remaining technical work before any commercial deployment. Developments Today stresses that PERSEUS will not be an operational network; the effort aims to answer the questions that must be resolved before commercial deployment can be considered.

Kevin Quillien, Craft Prospect’s head of engineering, serves as project lead. Chief Engineer Paul Yarr and systems engineers Lauryn Atkinson and Kairavi Pandit support the work. Dr Gerald Bonner is subcontract lead at Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, while Dr Richard Taylor is subcontract lead and Dr Graham Goldberg is project manager at Vector Photonics. “PERSEUS is an exciting opportunity to take a promising new photonics technology and understand the potential it has to offer the space industry.” — Kevin Quillien

The project builds on Craft Prospect’s quantum-optical communications work, including OPS-SAT VOLT, through which the company develops and tests quantum and optical technologies for space-to-ground free-space links. OPS-SAT VOLT is a €20 million mission. Craft Prospect is also developing a Quantum Key Distribution Space Network Emulator to test quantum key distribution technologies before deployment. The emulator is intended to reduce risk and accelerate development cycles.

Craft Prospect and Bright Ascension presented OPS-SAT VOLT progress at SmallSat 2026 in Salt Lake City in August, where company representatives Hina Khan and Lucy Donnell presented their work. The firm took part in ESA’s Quantum Technology Workshop in July, when quantum technology lead Natalie Pearson and sales engineer Rory Ireland discussed emerging technologies. Senior Quantum Engineer Andrew Kelly presented at the 9th Annual ScyLight Conference and Newton Q 2026. Quantum Zeitgeist says interest in secure communications and optical networking missions is high, citing the response to Craft Prospect’s Quantum CubeSat vision.

Craft Prospect advances its Smart Secure Space vision through onboard intelligence, quantum technologies and satellite subsystem innovation. OPS-SAT VOLT receives support from ESA and UKSA. Fraunhofer CAP is a not-for-profit research and technology organisation that helps industry with photonics, lasers and quantum technologies. Vector Photonics Limited, also based in Glasgow, is moving its proprietary PCSEL technology from research and fabrication settings into high-volume manufacturing.

PERSEUS remains an evaluation and development effort rather than an operational network. It aims to decide whether the lasers can tolerate relevant conditions, integrate with representative hardware, and what engineering steps remain before commercial deployment can be considered.