A golden, tissue box-sized satellite has set a new record for the fastest data transfer rate ever achieved by orbital laser light communication – breaking its previous milestone set less than a year ago. Happened. According to a recent NASA announcement, the agency’s Terabyte Infrared Delivery (TBIRD) system achieved 200 gigabits per second (Gbps) space-to-ground optical link speed on April 28 during a six-minute altitude from its respective ground station.

Within that time frame, NASA estimates that TBIRD could transmit several terabytes of test data back to Earth. This equates to thousands of hours of HD video data. “This capability will change the way we communicate in space,” said Beth Keir, mission manager for TBIRD at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. [1]

Figure 1. Lasers on a tiny NASA CubeSat just broke the large data speed record

Lasers on a tiny NASA CubeSat just broke the large data speed record is shown in figure 1. A tiny gold-coated satellite lifted off from Earth on Wednesday with a rather large goal in mind for NASA: beam down data at the fastest rate ever achieved by space lasers.

The space agency’s TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. TBIRD is tasked with downlinking 200 gigabits of data per second, in what would be the highest optical rate achieved by a laser link from space, according to NASA. [2]

That's impressive! CubeSats are small satellites with a standardized size of 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm, often used for scientific research, technology demonstrations, and educational purposes. They are cost-effective and provide a platform for various experiments in space.

The utilization of lasers for data transmission on CubeSats is an exciting development. Traditional data transmission methods, such as radio frequency (RF) communication, have limitations in terms of bandwidth and data transfer rates. By using lasers, which can transmit data through optical signals, the potential for higher data speeds increases significantly.

Breaking the large data speed record indicates that the CubeSat equipped with lasers achieved a remarkable data transfer rate. This breakthrough could have several implications for space exploration and satellite communication.

Faster data transmission can enhance scientific research by enabling more rapid collection and analysis of data. It can also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of satellite operations and communications, leading to advancements in various fields such as Earth observation, weather monitoring, and deep space exploration.

Reference:

1. https://biz.crast.net/a-tiny-nasa-cubesat-sets-a-huge-data-speed-record-with-lasers/
2. https://gizmodo.com/nasa-cubesats-laser-communication-satellites-1848976945

Cite this article:

Gokula Nandhini K (2023), Lasers on a tiny NASA CubeSat just broke the large data speed record, Anatechmaz, pp.203