Space-qualified optical amplification featuring EDFAs, EYDFAs, and semiconductor optical amplifiers for inter-satellite links at ranges up to 6,000 km.
Optical signals weaken as they travel — and in space, there’s no infrastructure to boost them along the way. The Optical Amplifier Unit solves this by amplifying laser light directly, without converting it to electrical signals first. The result: enough transmit power to close links across 6,000 km of vacuum between LEO and GEO orbits.
NantNova’s OAU uses fiber amplifiers (EDFAs and EYDFAs) and semiconductor optical amplifiers that are flight-proven on JAXA’s LEO-to-GEO optical link — over 3 years of continuous on-orbit operation. From compact 1W terminals to 5W+ high-gain configurations, the OAU scales to match any mission’s link budget.
The OAU amplifies laser light by passing it through doped optical fibers that are pumped with energy from a secondary laser. EDFAs (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers) handle the standard 1536/1553 nm wavelengths used in inter-satellite communication, while EYDFAs (Erbium-Ytterbium co-doped) push output to 5W+ for long-range links. Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) provide compact amplification for size-constrained terminals.
All amplifier types are space-qualified and radiation-tested, supporting wavelengths from 1064 nm for high-energy programs to 1553 nm for the SatLight™ OCT optical path.
OAU — Optical Amplifier Unit
OAU ES2602HZ-101 — Front Panel with Fiber Connections
EYDFA-37-SP — Er/Yb 5W Booster Amplifier
EDFA-PA-SP — Pre-Amp EDFA, 25 dB
SOA-1550-SP — Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
Harmonic Distortion — Frequency Domain (Pre/Post EYDFA)
From 1W compact terminals to 5W+ high-gain configurations, NantNova’s Optical Amplifier Unit delivers space-qualified performance with flight-proven heritage.