About
Secure space communications are crucial for timely decision making. Europe has the strengths in laser satellite communication to build its own capacity, but not yet the scale in orbit. Laser Delta kickstarted in the Netherlands to strengthen the European laser satellite communication ecosystem and help close that gap.
Europe's key strengths
Europe has a strong foundation for laser satellite communication: ground stations, knowledge, investment and a growing market. Laser Delta kickstarted in the Netherlands to strengthen the European laser satellite communication ecosystem. These are the figures behind it.
Hotspots
Largest density of Optical Ground Stations
Calculation:
Total Area of Europe: 10,2 million km²
16 optical ground stations (‘in development’ is not included)
10,2 million / 16 OGS = 637.500
So there is 1 OGS per 637.500 km² in Europe
Total area of US: 9,83 million km²
5 optical ground stations (‘in-development’ is not included)
9,83 million / 5 = 1.966.000
So there is 1 OGS per 1.966.000 km2 in the US
Total area of Asia: 44,5 million km²
12 optical ground stations (‘in-development is not included)
44,5 million / 12 = 3.708.333
So there is 1 OGS per 3.708.333 km2 in Asia
Public funding in space activities
Operational optical ground-station network
Private funding in space activities
Highest availability of optical links
Explanation:
Europe has 11 links according to the OGS tracker
Asia has 2 links according to the OGS tracker
US has 2 links according to the OGS tracker
No differentiation is made in terms of link types
Clear-sky availability
Ranking technical universities
Explanation:
In the top 20 of technical universities of 2026:
8 universities are in EU
7 universities are in North America
4 universities are in Asia
This makes Europe the one mentioned the most in the top 20 of technical universities worldwide.
ScyLight ESA programme budget
Growth of market size of optical satellite communication
Explanation:
The market size of optical satellite communications in Europe grows with a CAGR of 13.02%
The market size of optical satellite communications in the US grows with a CAGR of 11.21%
The market size of optical satellite communications in Asia grows with a CAGR of 43.9%
This makes Europe the second fastest growing continent for the market of optical satellite communications.
Market size of optical satellite communication
Explanation:
The market size in the US is $1.29 billion, which is 48,8% of global share
The market size in Europe is $0.86 billion, which entails 32,4% of global share
The market size in Asia is $0.54 billion, which is 20,4% of global share
Market share photonics
Explanation:
China leads, with a market share of 29%
Europe follows, with a market share of 16%
US is closely behind with 15% of the global market share in photonics
Global market share optical instrumentation
The gap is in orbit
Optical in-orbit satellite counts by country, based on information available from public sources, verified where possible. Especially for China, verifying the information has been challenging, so the percentages should be regarded as indicative. While the graph only shows hardware, it is important to appreciate the market for services (payloads, data processing, etc.) correlating with it. The data reflects a structural shift: since LEO communication constellations with optical links began dominating the market from around 2018, European representation has declined sharply in a fast-growing global market. By 2030, Europe risks holding only marginal capacity. This is the gap Laser Delta aims to help close.
The challenge for Europe
Secure space communications are crucial for timely decision making, offering resilience, flexibility and global coverage that terrestrial communications cannot provide. Like many EU member states, the Netherlands' military has access to foreign space communications infrastructure, including the American Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) and Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) systems. To ensure that Europe and its member states retain adequate access to secure space communications end-to-end in the future, three challenges should be addressed:
1. Overdependence on non-EU infrastructure
Most European countries, including the Netherlands, can rely on excellent NATO military communications infrastructure as well as access to European national capabilities through bilateral agreements. Alongside that, European-led sovereign communications infrastructure is needed to ensure availability in times of geopolitical fragility and conflict, to avoid priority denial on bandwidth and to gain better control of resources. This is in line with the Netherlands Defence Space Agenda (2022), which calls for more European and national resources, and with the Long-Term Space Agenda (2024), which calls for adequate sovereign access to information facilitated by (optical) satellite communications, sensors, supporting technologies and distribution of satellite data.
2. A threatened European supplier base
Europe's supplier base, serving both commercial and governmental needs, is being dramatically challenged at all stages of the value chain by the emergence of US and privately-led dominance: Starlink today, followed by Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper). For both sovereignty and economic prosperity, the European supplier base needs reinvigoration. This is in line with the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS, 2024) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP, adopted in December 2025), which aim to strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base, including readiness for the space domain. It is also in line with the Dutch Defence White Paper (2024), which identifies space technology as one of five areas for more focused investment.
3. Disruption of cybersecurity standards and governmental intelligence
Quantum computers are anticipated to become able to break conventional cryptography within the foreseeable future, so new encryption methods will be required. Currently, countries like China and Russia are leading the technological race in space-based quantum secure communications, which offer systematic and reliable detection of signal interception. Europe has responded with initiatives including IRIS² and EuroQCI, but industry and governments must act now to develop the capabilities needed to deliver on these programmes.
The opportunity
Each of these challenges is also an opportunity: independence from non-EU infrastructure, a reinvigorated European supplier base and a strong position in quantum secure communication. Europe must build the industrial and technological capacity to deploy sovereign laser satellite communication capabilities. Laser Delta exists to connect the organizations with the capabilities to respond, and to speak with one voice toward international, European and Dutch stakeholders.