LUCI optical terminal to link satellites for France 2030 space program

by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 28, 2025

Oledcomm is developing a new optical terminal called LUCI to provide inter-satellite communications for the French space agency CNES within the France 2030 program. The company, which focuses on wireless optical links, will build and demonstrate a bidirectional inter-satellite service using this compact terminal for the program's space component.

LUCI, short for Ultra-Compact Inter-Satellite Liaison, is designed as a small, low-power terminal that can deliver high data rates for satellite constellations. The system targets next-generation satellite networks that need high-throughput links between spacecraft while keeping power demand, mass, and cost under control.

The project sits within a rapidly growing market for space optical communications, driven by demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity. Optical links use laser beams instead of radio frequencies, which allows higher data rates, improved security, and less interference with the crowded radio spectrum.

Analysts expect annual growth of roughly 20 to 30 percent for this segment as large constellations from operators such as SpaceX, OneWeb, Amazon, and Europe's IRIS2 come online. New applications in Earth observation, defense communications, and deep-space and near-Earth exploration are also pushing adoption of optical links.

Optical Inter-Satellite Links, or OISLs, let satellites pass data directly among themselves without routing every transmission through ground stations. This architecture can strengthen resilience by reducing the network's dependence on ground nodes and can help keep high-speed connectivity available over more of the planet.

Oledcomm has already flown its optical technologies on several space missions and is positioning LUCI as a sovereign option for European operators. The company aims to offer satellite constellation owners a secure, high-throughput terminal that also reduces payload mass and manages hardware costs.

For Benjamin Azoulay, CEO of Oledcomm, "With LUCI, we are developing a competitive inter-satellite optical solution suited to the constellations of the future, all while protecting European technical sovereignty. We are grateful to have the support of France 2030 and the CNES."

The LUCI program is co-financed under France 2030 and is organized in two main phases running to 2028. Phase 1, which runs until July 2026, focuses on detailed system definition, validating the main technical choices, and reducing major technical and industrial risks.

Phase 2, scheduled from mid-2026 through 2028, covers industrial development, including final design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of the LUCI terminal. This stage will be followed by a full qualification campaign in a space environment and an end-to-end demonstration of the service.

The staged approach is intended to move LUCI from design review to mission-readiness, with the target of delivering a first flight model in 2028 for an in-orbit debut. By then, multiple constellation operators are expected to be in the market for mature optical inter-satellite hardware.

The project is supported by CNES and reflects a broader French effort to advance space-based optical communications under national and European initiatives. LUCI draws on earlier institutional work in France on space optical links, including the Silex and LOLA programs of the 2000s and more recent efforts such as DYSCO under CNES and CO-OP under the France Relance plan.