China teams space laser breakthrough takes communication speeds to high orbit
Chinese scientists have reported a milestone in space laser communications, sustaining a high-speed, hours-long laser link with a satellite more than 40,000km (25,000 miles) above the Earth. The capability is seen as critical to future deep-space networks. According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Optics and Electronics, which led the project, researchers used…
During the experiment, which lasted more than three hours, the laser link sustained uninterrupted data transmission at 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) in both directions, the Sichuan Observer reported on Tuesday.
The research team described the result as a “leading breakthrough” in long-duration, real-time communication in high orbit, where the tiniest of pointing errors or shifts in the atmosphere can break the beam.
Lead researcher Liu Chao said high-orbit satellite-ground communication was often unstable and brief, sometimes lasting only minutes. And while data travels quickly from satellites, signals from Earth are much slower, making real-time interaction difficult.
“It’s like sending someone 10 messages and getting only one reply,” Liu told the Sichuan Observer. “It’s hard to have an efficient conversation that way.”
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Space race elevates Asia in new world order
Space race elevates Asia in new world order
