Greenland's First Optical Ground Station to Boost Arctic Space Communication by 2026

The European Space Agency and Lithuanian startup Astrolight are constructing Greenland’s first optical ground station. The facility will be built in Kangerlussuaq, on the island’s southwestern coast. It will serve as the northernmost station of its kind in the region. The Kangerlussuaq OGS will sit roughly 1,200 km from the U.S. Space Force’s Pituffik Space Base. It is funded under the ESA’s ScyLight programme and will use laser technology to improve space-to-ground links. This will support disaster detection and critical infrastructure management.

The station will mainly assist telecommunications and Earth observation clients, including space agencies and commercial satellite operators. Completion is expected by the end of 2026.

Astrolight, which specialises in laser-based communication for space, ground, air and sea, secured €2.8 million in seed funding in May 2024. The round was led by Balnord and will help develop an end-to-end laser communication platform. The company plans to increase production of its Polaris naval laser terminals and Atlas space terminals in 2026.

Laurynas Maciulis, Astrolight’s co-founder and CEO, noted that the Arctic’s poor connectivity slows essential services. He believes the new station will address this gap. The OGS will be Greenland’s first optical ground station. It will provide faster, more reliable communication for Arctic operations. The project marks a step forward for regional connectivity and space-based services.