TOYOSHIMA MorioDirector of Space Communications Laboratory, Wireless Networks Research CenterJoined the Communications Research Laboratory, Ministry of Posts and Tele-communications (currently NICT), in 1994. After engaging in ETS-VI laser communication experiments, he was transferred to NASDA (currently JAXA), and after doing research at Vienna Uni-versity of Technology, he worked on the research and development of onboard satellite communication systems for OICETS, SOTA, and ETS-9. Ph.D. (Engi-neering).requently launched micro-satel-lites will change the world of space development. Space development is be-coming more familiar to our lives, such as through sophisticated earth observation satellites, satellite communication services by constellation satellites, and a variety of microsatellites. In our laboratory, we have an integrated total view from the Earth’s surface to space, and we are advancing re-search and development of satellite com-munications technology using light and radio waves to enable communication with anyone, anytime, anywhere, and to realize high-speed, large-capacity, and wide-area usage.■Technology for global optical satellite communication network infrastructureIn response to rising expectations for in-creased satellite communications capacity and to alleviate pressure on frequency re-sources, we promoted the development of the HIgh speed Communication with Advanced Laser Instrument (HICALI) onboard a satel-lite in order to achieve the fastest 10 Gbps class satellite-terrestrial (Figure 1). We are also developing and maintaining an adaptive optics system for the NICT optical ground station for precise tracking and reducing at-mospheric uctuation effects, and will estab-lish basic technology for optical feeder links.To improve optical satellite communica-tion quality, we successfully conducted satel-lite-terrestrial optical communication exper-iments using a Small Optical TrAnsponder (SOTA) onboard a 50 kg class micro-satel-lite. Furthermore, we were the rst to suc-ceed with a basic quantum communication experiment of transmitting and receiving at the photon-level between the SOTA and an optical ground station, and in July 2017, we published a paper in Nature Photonics (Fig-ure 2). Additionally, we have been collabo-rating globally with both domestic and over-seas companies and research institutions, and promoting satellite-terrestrial optical com-munication experiments. In April 2020, we succeeded in a bi-directional optical commu-nication experiment between the NICT op-tical ground station and the optical commu-nication terminal called Small Optical Link for International Space Station (SOLISS) developed by SONY CSL on the Interna-tional Space Station (ISS) (see p.13 of this issue). In the future, this technology can be used for data transmission from small earth observation satellites and for communication to and within satellite constellations. Further-more, we have begun research and develop-ment of miniaturized optical communication equipment for CubeSat and unmanned aerial vehicles, and we are aiming for 10 Gbps class data transmissions with CubeSats (see pp.10-11 of this issue).Ensuring global information security is an important social issue, and we are research-ing and developing satellite quantum cryp-tography technologies to solve it. In research commissioned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, we developed a portable optical ground station vehicle us-ing an 8-ton truck, and conducted evaluation of tracking accuracy, etc. In joint research collaboration, we are developing an optical communication terminal for quantum cryp-tography (collaboration with the Advanced ICT Research Institute and the Quantum ICT Advanced Development Center). Additional-ly, a micro-satellite called RISESAT devel-oped by Tohoku University was launched in January 2019. The satellite embarked with a 700-g Very Small Optical TrAnsmitter (VSOTA) developed by NICT and various experiments were conducted. The laser rang-ing experiments targeting satellites for which accurate orbit and attitude information have not been obtained were successfully con-Research Activities of Space Communications Laboratory in the 4th Medium- to Long-Term PlanFFigure 1 HIgh speed Communication with Advanced Laser Instrument (HICALI), the world’s fastest 10 Gbps class transmission equipment onboard the satelliteSpecial Issue for Space ICTNICT NEWS 2021 No.14
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