A space laser terminal developed by HiStarlink. (Photo provided by China Daily)
China is working to develop laser communications technology, a key component of space-based information networks.
In a recent development, the country sent its first two-way laser communication terminal into space for technology demonstration purposes.
The experimental terminal, developed by HiStarlink, a private laser communications company based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was carried onboard the Xingshidai 20 satellite, which was jointly built by HiStarlink and satellite manufacturer AdaSpace of Chengdu, Sichuan province.
Xingshitai 20 was one of nine satellites launched by a Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong province, on Saturday morning.
The rocket was launched from the launch service vessel at 11:07 a.m. and immediately deployed the satellite to its preset orbital position.
The laser device, which has a maximum transmission speed of 10 Gbit/s, is tasked with validating several key technologies in laser communications, the designers said, adding that laser communications is known for its large transmission capacity, long reach, and high level of He explained that security is a feature of the system.
“Laser communications are an irreplaceable component of any space-based information network. Using laser beams to transmit data between satellites and Earth is extremely difficult and has become a hot topic in the international space community. ” said Tan Jun, Founder and CEO of HiStarlink. .
“With our technology, we can increase terminal transmission speeds to 100 gigabits per second, which is sufficient for users in most situations and at a much lower cost, so we decided to move to 10 gigabits per second. I decided to.
“In the near future, laser communication terminals will become the backbone of low-orbit Internet satellite networks,” he said on Friday.
Saturday’s mission was the third space launch from the South China Sea. This was also the first time that Smart Dragon 3 launched a foreign satellite. His NExSat-1, one of nine satellites, is an experimental spacecraft built by Egypt’s National Remote Sensing and Space Science Agency and Germany’s Berlin Space Technology.
Smart Dragon 3 is a solid fuel rocket model. This type has a height of 31 meters, a diameter of 2.65 meters and can carry a launch weight of 140 tons. It is primarily propelled by a solid propellant engine, carrying 71 tons of propellant and producing 200 tons of thrust.
The rocket is capable of sending multiple satellites with a total weight of 1.5 tons into a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.
Smart Dragon 3 made its maiden flight from a ship in the Yellow Sea in December 2022, placing 14 satellites into orbit. The second mission was carried out off the coast of Yangjiang in December last year, marking the first maritime rocket launch from the South China Sea.
Jin Xin, the rocket’s project manager, said Smart Dragon 3 is suitable for customers who want to quickly launch a large number of satellites to establish a space-based commercial network as soon as possible.
China has carried out 10 sea launches so far, including five with the Long March 11 rocket model, three with the Smart Dragon 3, and one with the Beijing-based private company Galactic Energy’s Ceres 1. A rocket, and another on Orienspace’s Gravity 1. A private company in Beijing.
