Space-Grade Fiber Optic Cables and Interconnects

Hengtong Optic-Electric (亨通光电) is a leading Chinese manufacturer of fiber optic cables, submarine cables, and power cables, with a space division producing space-grade cable assemblies and interconnects for satellite platforms and Chinese space station programs. The company has extended its expertise in ultra-low-loss optical fiber and high-frequency coaxial cable manufacturing into the space environment.

Space-grade cables face unique challenges: vacuum requires outgassing-resistant jacketing materials (polyimide, PTFE) that don’t emit contaminating vapors that could coat optical surfaces; radiation requires radiation-hardened fiber designs that don’t darken under particle flux; and wide temperature cycling (-180°C to +120°C in LEO) demands flexible cable constructions that maintain electrical integrity through thousands of thermal cycles.

Hengtong’s space cables are used in Chinese satellite programs (Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, Tiangong space station modules) for power distribution, RF interconnects between transponders and antennas, and fiber-optic data buses within satellite avionics. The company is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and is one of China’s top three fiber optic cable manufacturers by revenue, making it a natural supplier for the Chinese space industry’s rapid expansion.