Space Communication switch to a Laser Beam

The laser beam, focused light beam that was once considered not suitable for long-distance communication, chances are the best way to send large amounts of data in space.

NASA’s Lunar Lasercom Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) Terminal, sending a laser beam to the moon. (Picture from: http://www.voanews.com/)

Scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory - NASA says it has developed a series of small superconducting light sensor is sensitive enough to detect the smallest particles of light - photons sized one. In fact, the chip can detect the position - left or right, up or down - from every photon that goes into the sensor circuit.

The light signals can be coded by the position of each photon, and also based on the time interval when emitted. The researchers say this allows the transfer of volumes of information in very large quantities, faster and less costly than using the radio - which is currently used for data communication in space.

The researchers say that the sensor can absorb the data of tens of millions of photons per second, and they expect future versions will be able to process one billion photons per second.In recent trials, scientists use a series of laser sensors to exchange data w ith NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon six times faster than the best existing radio communications. The researchers say that the laser system weighs half of the radio device and its function is comparable, and uses 25 percent less energy. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS]

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