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   '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.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   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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