Abstract: According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report on January 30, Europe will soon build a "highway network" that uses laser beams to transmit space data information in Earth orbit. An important link in the network is a communications satellite launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. According to reports, the satellite will use laser communication to collect images of the Earth taken by other spacecraft and then transmit them to the ground. One of the benefits of the new technology is the faster delivery of information to emergency responders about natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes.
European space laser information "highway network" will be built
Currently, it can take a long time for Earth-observing satellites to beam pictures back to Earth.
According to reports, part of the reason for this is that the satellites can only transmit images when they fly over an information receiving dish on the ground. Of the time they orbit the earth every 90 minutes, they only have 10 minutes to connect to the ground. Receive antenna. The way the European Space Agency (ESA) solves this problem is to upload the image to a satellite in a higher orbit in space that can maintain constant contact with the ground, and then transmit it back to the ground.
The European Space Agency recently launched two satellites equipped with selectable direction transmission equipment to upload information.
According to ESA corporate partner Airbus Defense and Space, after testing, the method allows the images to be placed on the desks of people on the ground 20 minutes after they request them.
In some cases, such as monitoring pollution incidents, illegal fishing or piracy, this facilitates a quick and effective response.
According to reports, the "European Data Relay System" (the European Data Relay System, EDRS) has been under construction for 10 years, in which laser beam communication between satellites is a key. EDRS will continue to be tested over the next few months and is expected to be fully operational this summer.