Integrated Photonics: Energy Efficiency Shaping the Future of Space Autonomy

In the New Space industry, there is one golden rule: efficiency is everything. When we send a satellite into space, we face severe constraints in terms of size, weight and, above all, energy. Every watt consumed by on-board electronic systems is energy that must be generated by solar panels and stored in heavy batteries. In this new era of space exploration, photonic technology is emerging as a critical enabler for overcoming the limitations of traditional electronics. At Gradiant, we design photonic solutions with the aim of expanding the range of functionalities and improving the efficiency of these systems. Integrated photonics is a technology that uses light (photons), rather than electrons, to process information, thereby reducing power consumption and, when integrated, also reducing size and weight, vital requirements for the aerospace sector, where every gram and every milliwatt count.

Gradiant works across the different stages involved in developing photonic solutions, from the creation of signal-processing algorithms to component-, chip- and system-level design and modelling. This work also includes packaging, demonstrator assembly and experimental validation in specialised laboratories.

These technologies and their role in the future of the space sector will be among the topics we will address at New Space España 2026.

Photonics for Processing More Data with Lower Power Consumption

Photonics applied to signal processing is another area with significant potential for new space platforms. Compared with some of the limitations of traditional electronics in terms of speed, energy consumption and miniaturisation, the use of light makes it possible to perform filtering, multiplexing and signal-manipulation operations with high precision and to develop more compact and efficient architectures. It also makes it possible to move an increasing number of processing functions into the photonic system itself, reducing reliance on high-power electronic stages and enabling advanced real-time processing capabilities directly on board the platform.

At Gradiant, we are working on these capabilities to address different types of processing, from radio-frequency and imaging signals to artificial intelligence applications. In this way, we combine high computing capacity with low power consumption. This is particularly relevant for satellites and other platforms where weight, available energy, bandwidth and the ability to process information in real time are critical factors.

In addition, these capabilities make it possible to move a growing share of processing into the photonic domain, reduce reliance on high-power electronic systems and enable more advanced analysis directly on board. This reduces the amount of information that needs to be transmitted and enables faster responses. In practice, these advances can deliver tangible benefits:

• For companies in the sector: more compact and efficient platforms, lower power consumption and greater real-time processing capacity, with potential benefits in terms of weight, launch costs and system autonomy.
• For society: greater capacity to analyse information directly on the satellite can support applications such as climate-change monitoring, the detection of wildfires or natural disasters, and more efficient global communications.

Applied Photonics: Technologies Driving New Space

These photonic capabilities translate into concrete applications that bring greater processing capacity, autonomy and efficiency to space platforms. One example is photonic neural networks, which use light to process information. At Gradiant, we are working on systems capable of operating at power levels of just 1 to 10 milliwatts, compared with approximately 1 watt for conventional systems, making it possible to bring advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to platforms with very limited energy resources.

Along the same lines, we are developing new photonic architectures for on-board artificial intelligence specifically designed for space applications. Our approach covers the entire design process, from modelling and optimising individual photonic components to integrating them into complete systems, incorporating radiation-tolerance, operational-reliability and service-life requirements from the earliest stages. This methodology enables us to move towards highly integrated, compact and robust photonic processors designed to operate under the demanding conditions of the space environment.

Within photonic processing of radio-frequency signals, one of the technologies we are working on is analogue self-interference cancellation in full-duplex or STAR (Simultaneous Transmit and Receive) systems. This technique makes it possible to transmit and receive simultaneously using the same frequency channel, reducing self-generated interference and making better use of the radio-frequency spectrum. Implementing it in the photonic domain makes it possible to handle wider bandwidths with lower power consumption and complexity, a strategic advantage given the growing demand for capacity and connectivity in space.

 One of our research lines focuses on moving an increasing number of processing functions into the photonic domain, both for communication signals and for data from on-board sensors. This reduces the amount of information that needs to be sent to the ground, enables real-time responses and reduces reliance on high-power electronic elements, such as intensive digital-processing stages or analogue-to-digital conversion chains, thereby improving overall system efficiency and enabling edge and real-time processing. With this approach, we implement photonic solutions both in highly integrated formats and in hybrid architectures, combining photonics, microelectronics, artificial intelligence and embedded software to move towards more compact, scalable and low-power processing systems tailored to the requirements of advanced communications, quantum platforms and new space systems.

The Next Frontier: Autonomous Photonics

One of the most disruptive areas of innovation we are working on at Gradiant aims to radically reduce the energy consumption of photonic systems and increase their autonomy.

In the space domain, photonics opens up new possibilities for extending satellite capabilities, increasing their processing capacity without increasing energy consumption.

These developments aim to create photonic devices capable of operating without external intervention while reducing their energy consumption by a factor of 100 to 1,000 compared with current standards.

How do we do it? In any circuit, some energy is dissipated during operation. Our technology makes it possible to capture and recycle this residual energy to power the photonic system’s own control circuits, dramatically reducing the need for external power supplies.

The result is a device capable of operating almost autonomously, both in terms of control and energy consumption. This can extend the service life of space missions and enable smaller satellites to take on functions that previously required larger platforms or constant supervision from the ground.

We are moving towards a new generation of more efficient, autonomous and sustainable photonic systems, capable of operating wherever every watt and every gram count.

Autora: Marta Castro López , Head of Micro-Nanoelectronics and Photonics en Gradiant

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