Astrogate Labs Develops India's First Indigenous Optical Inter-Satellite Link in Orbit (OISL)

Bengaluru-based deep-tech firm Astrogate Labs is developing India's first indigenous Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) terminal, aiming for flight readiness by 2027. The company showcased this capability alongside a live demo of its AstroLink Micro laser communication terminal at Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, held from 7-9 September at BIEC.

Key Features of India's First Indigenous Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) Terminal

OISL technology allows satellites to talk directly to each other in orbit, transferring data across a constellation before it's sent down to Earth, unlike traditional radio-frequency (RF) links, which are increasingly limited by spectrum and bandwidth constraints as satellite networks grow denser. Optical links instead use focused laser beams, offering secure, high-speed, low-latency connectivity between satellites.

Astrogate's OISL terminal builds directly on technology it already proved out in its space-to-ground systems: the Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT) mechanism, optical modem, and stabilised tracking gimbals. Since these core components have already been validated, the company says this gives it a head start toward achieving flight readiness by 2027.

The terminal is being aimed at three key markets -  satellite backhaul networks, sovereign defence satellite constellations, and orbital computing. For context, SpaceX's Starlink network already runs over 13,000 laser links between satellites, showing how this technology can work at large scale a benchmark Astrogate is now working toward with an India-built solution.

Alongside the OISL announcement, the company demonstrated AstroLink Micro, a 10 Gbps space-to-ground laser communication terminal, at the expo.

About Astrogate Labs

1. Astrogate Labs builds indigenous Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) systems for space and defence applications, developing its own Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking systems and optical modems in-house. 
2. Headquartered in Bengaluru with an additional office in Durham, England, the company has already supplied a satellite-to-ground laser communication terminal to ISRO, making it the only Indian company to deliver this technology to India's space agency. 
3. Its space-to-ground terminals have reached TRL 8, meaning they are fully qualified for flight, and have also been tested for compatibility with the University of Western Australia's TeraNet ground station, confirming they can work with international infrastructure too.