[Laser] 144km 10 Mbit/sec laser link acheived

[Ed]

yes, but this gives us hams a known working target to meet and 
exceed.  10 Mbit/sec over 90 miles via laser is truly amazing...

-ed , N3KOW



At 10:58 AM 11/9/2007, you wrote:
>Might be, but not for amateurs, since it was not done by hams, but 
>by a commercial-type organization.  Very impressive though.
>John Matz KB9II
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed" <bernies at netaxs.com>
>To: <laser at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 4:31 PM
>Subject: [Laser] 144km 10 Mbit/sec laser link acheived
>
>
>>is this a new terrestrial record?
>>
>>-ed
>>
>>
>>http://www.oerlikon.com/ecomaXL/index.php?site=SPACE_EN_press_releases_detail&udtx_id=5060
>>
>>Oerlikon Space demonstrates laser data link across a distance of 
>>1.5 million kilometres
>>
>>07 Nov 2007
>>
>>November 2007 - On the Canary Islands last week, a team from Oerlikon Space
>>demonstrated the feasibility of a laser link across a distance of 1.5
>>million kilometres for the first time ever. In the future, laser links like
>>this one will be able to transmit data across huge distances through the
>>universe far more rapidly and efficiently than is possible using
>>conventional radio links today.
>>
>>To prove that data transmission across the vast distance of 1.5 million
>>kilometres is really feasible, the Oerlikon engineers had devised a special
>>experiment in which they set up a laser link between the islands of La Palma
>>and Tenerife. The transmission unit was modified in such a way that the
>>conditions on the 144-kilometre stretch between the islands exactly
>>reflected those that would prevail on a 1.5 million kilometre link through
>>space. This was achieved primarily by reducing the emission aperture of the
>>laser to a diameter of less than half a millimetre in order to weaken the
>>light signal.
>>
>>The Oerlikon team installed the transmission unit in a container beside the
>>Nordic Optical Telescope at an altitude of 2400 metres on Roque de los
>>Muchachos, the highest mountain on La Palma in the Canary Islands. Because
>>of the unusually clear air, this is an ideal location for optical
>>experiments. The receiver terminal was situated in the Optical Ground
>>Station (OGS) of the European Space Agency ESA on Tenerife.
>>
>>Although the optical experiment was hampered by unfavourable weather
>>conditions with unusually high cloud and strong winds during the first few
>>days, a breakthrough was achieved at noon on Wednesday. The experts from
>>Oerlikon Space succeeded in establishing a laser link between La Palma and
>>Tenerife. In the course of the experiment, they achieved transmission rates
>>of over 10 Mbit/sec. At this speed, it would take a mere two seconds to
>>transmit the entire text of the Bible. The data rate would also be
>>sufficient to transmit three digital television programmes simultaneously.
>>
>>Laser-based data transmission has several advantages over conventional radio
>>links. Because of the shorter wavelength, lasers can transmit more data than
>>radio signals in the same period of time. Lasers can also be far more
>>accurately aligned with the receiver than radio waves, and therefore require
>>less power for data transmission.
>>
>>These advantages are particularly useful in space applications, for instance
>>when large quantities of data need to be transmitted rapidly back and forth
>>between satellites. When data have to be transmitted across vast distances,
>>too, laser communication will be the medium of choice in future. The
>>distance of 1.5 million kilometres that was simulated on the Canary Islands
>>is equivalent to the distance between the Earth and Lagrange points L1 and
>>L2. These mark specific positions in space at which it is particularly
>>advantageous to place space telescopes. Equipped with laser terminals,
>>telescopes such as these will in future be able to transmit far greater
>>quantities of observation data to Earth than is possible by radio today.
>>Laser communication could also be used for transmitting data to Earth during
>>future missions to the moon.
>>
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