Space technology has just made one of the biggest advancements this year, which might change data transmission and satellite communication forever. A team of scientists from China has developed a satellite that successfully outpaced Elon Musk’s Starlink. The new satellite has set a new record of operating from an altitude of 36,000 kilometers, which is around 60 times higher than Starlink. This has definitely made data transmission far better than it was with Starlink. If you are someone who wants to know more about the new Chinese satellite, the following article is for you.
Chinese Satellite Successfully Overcomes Biggest Challenge In Satellite Communication
What’s actually surprising about China’s new satellite is that it has used a 2-watt laser, which is reportedly weaker than a night light, to transmit data. It has not only completed data transmission successfully, but it has also done so at the speed of 1 Gbps. This speed is 5 times more than what Elon Musk’s Starlink is capable of achieving, which is just a few megabits per second. Starlink also operates at a much lower altitude of just 550 kilometres when compared to the new Chinese satellite. As per the reports, the laser used in the new satellite, which is weaker than candle glow, successfully pushed data through Earth’s highly turbulent atmosphere. This means the new Chinese satellite has successfully overcome the biggest challenge in satellite communication.
How Exactly Did The Chinese Scientist Overcome The Biggest Hurdle In Satellite Communication?
The team of scientists that made the unthinkable possible was led by the most talented Professor Wu Jian from Peking University and Liu Chao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their team successfully developed a unique method that could overcome the interference caused by atmospheric turbulence. Their solution is called AO-MDR synergy, which is basically a combination of both Adaptive Optics (AO) and Mode Diversity Reception (MDR). These two are meant to sharpen as well as stabilize the laser signal. This ensures clear and reliable transmission even through highly turbulent atmospheric conditions.
What Do We Know About AO, MDR, And Its Combination, AO-MDR Synergy?
Atmospheric turbulence was considered the biggest hurdle in satellite communication because it distorts light, making maintaining a stable connection difficult. In order to overcome this hurdle, scientists used to take the help of AO and MDR. However, when used alone, both AO and MDR proved to be insufficient when they had to face strong turbulence.
This was when a new solution from Chinese scientists came into the picture, which is AO-MDR synergy. The Chinese basically combined both AO and MDR in the new satellite to correct the distortion while capturing scattered signals. This new solution not only increased the strength of the signal but also made data transmission more reliable, even when the laser power available is pretty low.
How Will This Impact Satellite Communication?
This groundbreaking achievement from Chinese scientists is not only about speed improvements. The new satellite has successfully managed to transmit data from a huge distance, that too with minimal signal degradation. It means the new Chinese satellite will probably result in even faster global data exchange. The new satellite also promises improved reliability in satellite communication. This achievement will definitely be highly beneficial for those industries that are dependent on real-time transmission of data.
The new satellite’s ability to maintain a high-quality signal even over a distance of 36,000 kilometers without needing any kind of complex infrastructure on the ground makes it even more important for satellite communication. This basically means activities like HD streaming will witness an increase in speed and a decrease in interruptions. It makes this achievement more important for the consumers.
How Will This Achievement Impact The World In The Near Future?
This new Chinese satellite has successfully made China’s position in space technology as well as the global scientific community even stronger. Apart from that, this achievement may also pave the way for China to become the leader in the field of satellite communication. If laser communication is utilised properly, it may result in faster internet connections, reliable communication for space missions, and improved GPS.
If developed properly, these new techniques may even help satellite-based laser communications replace radio frequency systems. It will provide the consumers with greater bandwidth, faster speeds, and reduced latency. The latest Chinese satellite also highlights the rapidly growing competition in the field of space-based communication.
