For now, the space laser communication is being transferred from the laboratory stage to the formal stage green laser pointer. On this basis, this means that the first satellite of the European Data Relay Satellite System is finally about to be launched. The specific time is currently tentatively scheduled for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the 28th of this month.
Although theoretically speaking, Kazakhstan is considered to be a country with most geographically located in Asia. However, the Baikonur Cosmodrome has achieved many glories for European aerospace industry, including October 4, 1957, when the first man-made earth satellite in human history was launched from here.
And now, this legendary place will usher in new glory, that is, to witness the successful implementation of EDRS. In fact, as early as the end of 2012, the EDRS design work was completed and approved. After that, the staff have been working hard to carry out related work, and finally made a breakthrough in recent days.
In fact, for EDRS, this in itself is a breakthrough that Europe has made in innovative laser pointer communication terminal technology. It can transmit data from satellites in lower orbits to these EDRS payloads and then relay them back to the ground. The payload includes a laser terminal developed by the German TESAT company. These payloads can upload 1.8G of information per second between a satellite in a lower orbit and an EDRS in a geostationary orbit (a distance of 40,000 kilometers).
This technology will have an impact in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, environmental monitoring, agriculture, natural disasters and other fields. It is expected that the next related satellite will be launched in 2017 and complete global coverage in 2020.