OGS
Optical Ground stations
Officina Stellare is also a leading name in the design and manufacturing of in high-end, turnkey products Optical Ground Stations (OGS) for Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Laser Ranging, and/or Scientific Research. All serve as ground-based facilities supporting advanced observations and communications with space.
While all three types of stations use high-precision optical systems and share environmental challenges, their core objectives—communications (OGS), space object tracking (SSA), and celestial observation (Astronomy)—define their distinct technologies and applications.
Officina Stellare leverages all the commonalities of these systems such as:
- Ground-Based Telescopes: all three are terrestrial facilities focused on interactions with space using telescope apertures up to 1.5m.
- Precision Instruments: they use high-precision optical systems (telescopes, lasers, photonics, control etc.) which are designed and built in house.
- Atmospheric Interaction: all stations are affected by atmospheric conditions like cloud cover and turbulence, which can disrupt observations or communications. Officina Stellare and its subsidiaries’ knowhow in domains such as Adaptive Optics and Active Control Optics allows the minimization and control of the atmospheric turbulence.
- Tracking and Pointing Systems: each type relies on sophisticated tracking systems to maintain accurate alignment with celestial or orbital targets.
The differences between these products are:
- Optical Ground Stations (OGS)
- Primary Purpose: Communication via laser (optical) links with spacecraft, satellites, or other terrestrial OGS. It can be used also for Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Communications.
- Technology: Uses lasers to send and receive data, enabling high-speed communication links between Earth and space, and between satellites in orbit. Very high stability optomechanical systems and telescopes in extended temperature and humidity ranges, very fast movement of the telescope whilst able to operate down to 10 deg elevation.
- Applications:
- Space communications (satellite data transmission).
- Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Communications.
- Inter-satellite communications.
- Deep space missions.
- Key Considerations: Narrow beamwidth, high data rate, but affected by weather and atmospheric interference.
- SSA Ground Stations (e.g., Laser Ranging)
- Primary Purpose: Tracking and cataloging objects in orbit (space debris, satellites) to enhance space situational awareness.
- Technology: Uses laser ranging (LIDAR), radar, or optical telescopes to measure distances to satellites or debris by timing the reflection of laser pulses.
- Applications:
- Orbital debris tracking.
- Satellite positioning and orbit determination.
- Collision avoidance.
- Key Considerations: Requires highly accurate distance measurements and real-time updates for maintaining the orbital catalog.
- Astronomical Observatories
- Primary Purpose: Observing celestial objects (planets, stars, galaxies, etc.) for scientific research and discovery.
- Technology: Primarily uses optical or radio telescopes to observe light (visible, infrared, ultraviolet) from distant cosmic sources.
- Applications:
- Studying the universe, star formation, exoplanets, and cosmology.
- Surveying and cataloging celestial objects.
- Gravitational wave or gamma-ray detection.
- Key Consideration: Focused on passive observation of natural phenomena rather than communication or object tracking.
The OGT series are Officina Stellare’s cornerstone Optical Ground Stations products.
Hereunder, a list of the key features of the OGT-700 and OGT-800 products. The OGT-1000 is under development.
| Astronomical class products | Officina Stellare OGT products | |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | Not Optimized for laser application. No verification of polarization induced losses. | Enhanced metallic coating optimized for high performance in C band and very low polarization induced losses for lasercom and QKD applications |
| Coating lifetime | coating lifetime not verified through durability tests. | Durability tested. |
| Design | The telescope and mount system do not meet | The telescope and mount system are designed to respect the "Quasi-Machine" as per 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive |
| Mount Drive | Low duty cycle expected, typical for sidereal applications | Specifically designed for high duty cycles, expected for LEO tracking (laser ranging, lasercom and QKD) applications |
| Environmental conditions | Standard temperature/humidity conditions | Extended temperature range. Humidity rating up to 95% (non-condensing) |
| Optical layout | Standard obscuration, typical of astronomical applications | Reduced obscuration, it can be further optimized |
| Tolerances | Standards for astronomical applications | Very tight tolerancing on both optical and mechanical specifications |
| Focus position | Typically, Cassegrain | 2x Nasmyth foci. Coudè option available |
| Focal plane stability | Typical for astronomical applications equipped with focuser mechanism | Unmatched focal plane stability in all conditions to meet fiber coupling requirements. Optimized for high end lasercom and QKD applications |
| Telescope mechanical design | Optimized for sidereal applications | Mechanical design optimized for extremely high stability in all operating conditions |
| Tracking stability | Optimal for sidereal applications | Unmatched stability even at high velocity (LEO/MEO/GEO satellite tracking) |
PROJECTS
galileo
Satellite Laser Ranging Testbed for Galileo
Officina Stellare has recently supplied to Digos GMBH two systems composed by telescopes and mounts to be used as part of the GALILEO Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Laser Ranging testbed.
The project falls under the EU H2020 activity contributing in a consortium to a Satellite Laser Ranging turn key station for Galileo, responding to the technical and flexibility requirements as set out in the ITT for GLRS.
Telescopes and Mount assemblies have been fully designed and built by Officina Stellare on the basis of specific technical requirements agreed with the end customer, confirming the company position among the most important players on the international market in the scientific, astronomical and research fields specifically, thanks to its solid technical-engineering skillset, the level of unquestioned excellence achieved by its products and the ability to customize the production.
The Laser Ranging is a fundamental technology of Geodesy and Earth Sciences which includes, for example, the monitoring of the rotation parameters and the three-dimensional deformations of the Earth, the measurement of the variability over time of the Earth’s gravitational field, the observation of tectonic motion plates and support for Earth observation satellites through a precise determination of their orbit. The technique uses the extremely precise measurement of the time taken by the pulses emitted by the laser transmitter in the round trip between the ground station and the retro-reflector mounted on board the satellite to define with great precision the distance of the same.
YEBES
YLARA Laser Ranging Station
Officina Stellare installed the first OGT-700 at the YLARA Laser Ranging Station, destined to the Yebes Observatory. The project was promoted by the National Center of Geographic Information in the frame of the outstanding YDALGO scientific research project and co-funded by FEDER funds. Contracted and by the Spanish company TTI-Norte and in partnership with the German SME DiGOS Potsdam GmbH, this OGT-700 features Nasmyth foci, Coudè path, fully redesigned telescope and mount assemblies and a novel telescope control system.
The OGT-700 is a cornerstone in the development of Officina Stellare’s Optical Ground Stations products.
The OGT-700 has been first designed for the YLARA Laser Ranging Station. Stemming from our tracking mounts and astronomical prosumer telescope products, the OGT-700 has been completely redesigned and features key enhancements with respect to traditional astronomical products to meet the demanding requirements of LEO orbit tracking and laser applications (Laser Ranging, Lasercom, QKD). Key features as Nasmyth foci, Coudé path were introduced.
In further partnership with EGEOS Versions of the OGT-700 were delivered for the ground stations commissioned by DLR, Universität Bundeswehr München and the Galileo Laser Ranging Testbed station.
The OGT-800 version of this product has been commissioned by Digos Potsdam GmbH, through a contract awarded by EGEOS SpA under Italian Space Agency funding, for the novel Matera SLR Station.