Chinese scientists have achieved a major milestone in satellite communication by transmitting data from a geostationary satellite to Earth at an unprecedented speed of 1Gbps—five times faster than SpaceX’s Starlink. Remarkably, this feat was accomplished using a low-powered 2-watt laser from 36,000 kilometers above Earth.
The groundbreaking experiment was conducted by a team led by Professor Wu Jian and Liu Chao, combining Adaptive Optics (AO) and Mode Diversity Reception (MDR) to tackle the long-standing challenge of atmospheric interference. These techniques helped stabilize the laser signal as it traveled through the Earth’s turbulent atmosphere.
Also Read: China Condemns Israel’s Strikes, Warns of Dangerous Escalation
Data was successfully received at the Lijiang Observatory using a 1.8-meter telescope. Advanced equipment, including 357 micro-mirrors and a multi-plane converter guided by a real-time chip-based algorithm, enabled over 91% signal reliability—up from a previous 72%.
This innovation marks a significant leap in China’s space communication capabilities. With earlier successes like the Shijian-20 satellite’s 10Gbps record in 2020, China is rapidly emerging as a global leader in high-speed, space-based data transmission.
