China team’s space laser breakthrough takes communication speeds to high orbit
Experiment sustains uninterrupted high-speed data transmission between satellite and Earth for more than three hours, team reports
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.”
11:05
Space race elevates Asia in new world order