'Greenland is strategically valuable for LEO': CEO of European laser communications startup expands on why lasers complement radio networks - and highlights the critical importance of the North Pole for satellite passes

Date:
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Description:
Greenlands location near the North Pole makes it a critical site for laser based satellite communications, expert says.

FULL STORY

Greenland has been in the headlines a lot recently, after President Donald Trump renewed calls for the United States to take control of the territory - but beyond politics, the Arctic region is also garnering attention for a very different reason - its growing importance to space and defense
communications.

This strategic value is closely tied to satellites, lasers, and geography,
and according to European laser communications startup Astrolight ,
Greenlands location near the North Pole makes it unusually valuable for
modern satellite networks.

Speaking to AZoOptics , Laurynas Maciulis, co founder and CEO of Astrolight, said Greenland plays a key role in how Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEO) move around the planet.

Military use

Greenland is strategically valuable for LEO pass geometry because its
proximity to the North Pole allows frequent satellite passes for polar
orbiting satellites that provide global coverage, he explained, adding that
its position near the magnetic pole also makes it useful for monitoring space weather.

Astrolight focuses on laser based communications, which use tightly focused beams of light instead of traditional radio signals. This offers several practical advantages over radio frequency systems.

Laser communication solves many practical problems that come with the use of radio frequency, Maciulis said. It sidesteps the crowded radio frequency spectrum, while also allowing much higher data rates and offering strong resistance to jamming and spoofing.

The company has already moved beyond testing. Maciulis said Astrolight
recently signed a contract with the European Space Agency to build the first optical ground station (OGS) in Greenland, aimed at speeding up the return of satellite data for uses such as disaster response and geointelligence.

Laser communications are also attracting attention in military settings,
where radio transmissions can expose the location of troops.

In a separate report by BFBS Forces News , Peter Stensgrd-Hansen of
Astrolight described his own experience using radios during military service.

"I died so many times during my nine months of service because the moment I pushed that radio down it's a big 'hello, here is battalion command'. I was bombarded to pieces.

"Laser links are far harder to detect or disrupt. This is just free space, a very narrow beam that only transmits from a very narrow path from the transmitter to the receiver," Stensgrd-Hansen said.

Nato has been testing laser based systems during recent exercises as part of efforts to improve communications resilience.

"The idea of establishing a position in Greenland came from our experience
with Nato... we need to spread out our global space infrastructure," Stensgrd-Hansen said.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/greenland-is-strategically-valuable-for-leo-ceo- of-european-laser-communications-startup-expands-on-why-lasers-complement-radi o-networks-and-highlights-the-critical-importance-of-the-north-pole-for-satell ite-passes

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