UWA completes TeraNet optical ground station network

The University of Western Australia (UWA) has announced the successful completion of TeraNet, understood to be the first operational optical ground station network in the Southern Hemisphere. This achievement places Australia at the cutting edge of global space communications and national security capability, and occurred when the TN-2 ground station achieved first light in September 2025 at the Yarragadee Geodetic Observatory.

Comprising three interconnected ground stations located across Western Australia, TeraNet combines advanced optical communications and precision timing technologies into one coordinated system:

• TN-1 (UWA Perth Campus) — supporting investigations into laser communications with spacecraft in deep-space, including upcoming commercial missions to the Moon.
• TN-2 (Yarragadee Geodetic Observatory) — a state-of-the-art station incorporating UWA’s coherent optical technology and adaptive optics system, enabling efficient single-mode fibre coupling.
• TN-3 (Mobile Jeep Gladiator Platform) — understood to be the world’s first fully mobile optical ground station, designed for rapid deployment in disaster-affected regions and delivering quantum-assured timing to strengthen national security.
   

Together, these three nodes create a network capable of enabling communication at data rates thousands of times faster than typical space systems and satellite positioning thousands of times more precise than what is achievable today.

TeraNet is helmed by UWA, with project partners Thales Australia, Thales Alenia Space and Geoscience Australia. The project is led by Professor Sascha Schediwy at UWA’s node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR).

“The completion of TeraNet is a transformational milestone,” Schediwy said. “It is the first time the Southern Hemisphere has an operational optical ground station network. By combining permanent facilities with a fully mobile node, we have created a globally unique platform that strengthens international space communications and enhances Australia’s sovereign capability in geodesy, satellite positioning and national security.”

The timing capabilities at the core of TeraNet were directly enabled by technologies developed for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project, which required precise synchronisation of hundreds of antennas across vast distances. By translating this expertise into free-space optical communication, it is believed that UWA and its partners have created new pathways for ultrahigh-speed data transfer, resilient connectivity during natural disasters, and secure timing critical for defence and navigation.

“TeraNet demonstrates the innovation and impact that results from investing in science and technology,” said Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency. “This network will enhance our ability to connect with spacecraft and future lunar missions, reinforcing Australia’s reputation as a trusted and capable partner in the global space sector.”

Image: Supplied.