MILAN – Officina Stellare, an Italian manufacturer of advanced opto-mechanical systems, has signed a 1.84 million euro ($2.0 million) contract with the Barcelona-based Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), the company announced March 17.
The contract covers the design and construction of an optical ground station for future laser and quantum-encrypted space-to-Earth communications.
"The station is conceived to be compatible with both laser and quantum communication applications," Pierpaolo Pergola, Officina Stellare's chief commercial officer, told SpaceNews.
