SES demonstrates two-way laser link on K2 Space GRAVITAS satellite

On Nov. 4, 2026, SES said it demonstrated a laser communications link between a ground station operated by Cailabs in Rennes, France, and a payload on K2 Space’s GRAVITAS Mega-class satellite as part of the meoSphere Pathfinder 1 mission.

The announcement related to the meoSphere Pathfinder 1 mission, which SES calls a key step for its next-generation medium Earth orbit network. The satellite carried a Mynaric CONDOR optical terminal, while Cailabs ran the optical ground station in Rennes. The demonstration paired a spaceborne terminal on the K2 platform with a French ground station, showing how the two ends of the link were provided by different partners. SES directed the mission while Thales Alenia Space provided integration and testing support.

SES developed and operated the optical mission using its own automation software, and the company kept control of the mission architecture and the software that governed pointing and data exchange. Thales Alenia Space provided industrial support across assembly, integration, testing and operations. During the demonstration, SES sent video messages from chief executive Adel Al-Saleh over the laser link, and the company described the transmission as an example of live communication between the satellite and ground infrastructure. The company said the link showed repeated data movement between space and ground in an operational setting, calling it operational experience rather than a laboratory-only test.

“This Pathfinder 1 achievement validates our vertically integrated, iterative approach to developing next-generation space capabilities,” said Carmel Ortiz, senior vice president, MEO Programs at SES. Ortiz described Pathfinder 1 as evidence of SES’s vertically integrated, iterative development method and said repeated transfers showed optical performance in an operational setting. The company said the result validates technology intended to support secure, flexible and high-capacity connectivity services.

Carmel Ortiz, Senior Vice President, MEO Programs, SES, said, “Together with our partners, we have successfully and repeatedly transferred data between space and the ground.” Converge Digest reported the remark in its Nov. 4, 2026 coverage of the demonstration.

SES said the technology should make possible flexible, resilient and secure data transport to meet rising demand for high-capacity connectivity. SES expects optical communications to support meoSphere’s evolution by offering customers more flexibility, security and capacity for demanding connectivity needs. SES says its meoSphere network relies on optical transceivers for flexible, resilient routing and to cut bandwidth bottlenecks past radio frequency limits. SES listed sovereign communications, orbital network links, Earth-observation data relay and space-based computing support as meoSphere uses, seeing the network as useful for government customers and potential computing infrastructure in space.

Laser communications rely on narrow beams rather than radio frequencies to provide high-bandwidth connections. Optical links require precise pointing and tracking between terminals, and clouds or atmospheric turbulence can interrupt ground connections.

The earlier meoSphere plan envisioned 28 satellites flying across four orbital planes at about 8,000 kilometers altitude on K2 Space platforms with laser links between them. SES described this constellation using K2 platforms and optical links. That design gave Pathfinder 1 its broader architecture.

The roadmap lists optical relay capability at up to 100 Gbps. The figure comes from the company’s disclosed roadmap rather than from the November ground-to-space demonstration. SES said the November demonstration falls short of proving the full constellation throughput target.

SES has released no figures for the data rate, link duration or availability. The announcement did not include a commercial launch date. It also gave no specific meoSphere optical capacity figure.

Converge Digest said Pathfinder 1 shifts SES from an announced optical architecture toward an operational link between space and ground. The outlet said commercial operations require more proof of sustained throughput. Steady link availability and reliable network performance also require more proof.

The Pathfinder 1 team will continue testing, aiming to lengthen optical connections, review data transmission speeds and check pointing accuracy. After initial link acquisition, the next flight-test campaign will stretch connection length and measure speed before future precursor missions.

Results from Pathfinder 1 will shape future Pathfinder missions and help engineer the operational meoSphere constellation. Campaign data will guide precursor missions and speed up deployment.

SES plans Pathfinder 2 for 2027. It also plans Pathfinder 3 for 2028. Those flights will test more complex payloads ahead of full deployment. The company said the successful demonstration supports its ability to handle advanced optical communications technologies that support its next-generation meoSphere network.

SES is based in Luxembourg. It trades on the Paris exchange and the Luxembourg exchange. Its ticker is SESG. The company says its Intelsat acquisition provides over 100 years of combined industry leadership and describes its track record as more than 100 years of combined leadership after acquiring Intelsat.