While laser communications are a paradigm shifting technology, the major weakness is weather; lasers cannot propagate through clouds. The way around this is to use multiple optical ground stations that overlap in their coverage but are far enough apart that the weather they experience is not correlated. This project would investigate how an OGS network can be automated and optimised to ensure the best possible uptime for links. 

Atmospheric turbulence degrades an optical signal, reducing its capacity to transmit data. Adaptive optics is a mature technology used by astronomers to correct for this, but optical ground stations will need to operate under less favourable conditions than the pristine sites that astronomical observatories are located. This project would investigate various turbulence mitigation strategies for laser communications, whether based on adaptive optics or other techniques.  

Laser communications can also be employed in terrestrial scenarios where high bandwidth and/or secure communications are needed, but optical fibre is impractical. Defence, the resources sector, and disaster management could benefit significantly from laser communications. This project would involve the design and implementation of optical terminals that could be vehicle-mounted and operate over links of ~20km.