HydRON
European satellite communication constellation project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HydRON, or High‑thRoughput Optical Network, is a future multi-orbit constellation of communication satellites using laser links, which is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).[1][2][3][4][5] The project's goal is to provide real‑time large volume data transfer services between satellites and ground systems at throughput higher than 100 Gbps.[6][7][8] The project is structured in three "elements". The first aims to establish a low Earth orbit constellation, the second aims to extend it to other orbits, and the third aims to create a user-facing segment in coordination with the industry.[2][7][9][10][11][12] HydRON is part of ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme.[13]
| Operator |  European Space Agency |
|---|---|
| Status | Under development |
| Constellation size | |
| Current usable satellites | 0 |
| Website | https://connectivity.esa.int/archives/partnership-projects/hydron |
History
On 1 February 2022, ESA awarded a contract to the German company Mynaric to work on the optical communication system for HydRON.[8][14] On 16 October 2024, ESA awarded a €36 million contract to the Canadian company Kepler Communications to lead Element #1 development.[1][12] On 14 February 2025, ESA awarded a contract (amount undisclosed) to the European company Thales Alenia Space to lead Element #2.[1][15][16] In early 2026, ESA awarded further contracts to Mynaric and Kepler Communications (€18.6 million) to work on Element #3.[2][11][17][18]
