January 24, 2024 at 06:16 Updated: 42 minutes ago
A Dutch part of a satellite has managed to send data to Earth with a laser beam. This is a first for the Netherlands, says the research institute TNO, which developed the space instrument.
Laser beams are faster than the radio frequencies currently used. They are also much more difficult to intercept and eavesdrop on.
The laser beams were sent with the Dutch device SmallCAT. This is integrated into a Norwegian satellite launched last year.
During the test, SmallCAT sent the laser beam with the data to a ground station in the dunes near The Hague. Another beam went to a receiver on the Spanish island of Tenerife. This occurred at a speed of 1 gigabit per second.
“This is an enormous challenge, because the satellite travels at an altitude of 500 kilometers at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour,” says TNO.
Amazon and militaries are also interested in laser connections
The intention is that in the future many laser satellites will orbit the Earth for such connections. For example, the technology company Amazon is working on a satellite network under the name Project Kuiper.
Armies are also interested. Late last year, the American space probe Psyche sent a message via laser to a distance of almost 16 million kilometers from Earth.
Image: SFL
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2024-01-24 05:16:25
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