Recently, in the Kennedi Space Center, Florida, Kennedy Space Center, General Atomic Electromagnetic Systems and the US Department of Defense Space Development Bureau uses SpaceX "Falcon 9" business rocket to launch the laser Internet communication system (LINCS) satellite to Specify the track.
Unique laser communication
The laser is a new type of light source, has a high brightness, a direction of direction, monochromaticity, and a strong coherence, and laser communication use a carrier for information as information. Satellite laser communication has many uniqueness compared to traditional radio communications:
First, the laser carrier frequency has hundreds of THz magnitude, and the carrier frequency is 3 to 5 orders of radio communication over a few GHz to dozens of GHz, which can carry more information and a higher communication rate. Secondary laser hair is small, and the beam wide and poor points is good, and it is not easy to capture in space. When the laser communication is performed, the device must be located within a narrow beam to receive a clearer signal, so the highly confidential communication between the two points can be utilized, and the anti-intercept laser communication network can also be established, multipoint confidentiality Communication, it is not easy to interfere with external interference during communication, with better security and reliability. At the same time, the laser wavelength is 3 to 5 orders of radio wavelength, and the transmission and receiving optical antenna required by the laser communication system is small, the size, light weight, light weight, can satisfy miniaturization and light weight. , Low power requirements.
Laser communication is one of the important directions of future communication technology development
Although there is a limit to laser communication. As compared to microwave communication, the cost of laser communication is high; the laser is in the process of atmospheric transmission, which is greatly attenuated by snow and rain, and the quality of communication; and the direction of the laser beam also leads to stability to the equipment. Sex and accuracy propose high requirements. However, in general, laser communication will be widely used in military fields and high-speed data transmission in future space, which has become an international consensus and trend. In this case, Director Derrik Turnell, Director Director, once said that laser communication can bring "high bandwidth, low delay, communication network with low signal interference probability, suitable for any platform, no matter on the water, On board, still in the air. "
"Big country competition" boost
In fact, the United States and other countries have taken the lead in carrying out satellite laser communication technology. For example, the researchers in the Nasa Gordid Space Flight Center in 1968 will send a laser from the ground station to the near-terrestrial satellite GEOS II. Laser transmission experiments were performed, and the influence of atmospheric turbulence on laser signal transmission; 1985 US Eastern United States established a stable laser communication link with high precision with aiming technology. In 2013, the US Moon Laser Communication Demonstration Verification Project was successfully implemented, laid a deep technical foundation for its satellite laser communication.
Radio communication is easy to interfere with the other electronic warfare force
These years have returned to "big country competition", so the US military's demand for communication security is suddenly strengthened. The US military believes that the current weapon system relies on radio signal communication, and this is also the foundation of some automatic functions. Although the automatic function can improve the defense of weapons, the radio signal is easily "hacker invasion". According to Washington, Russia has made significant progress in developing an electronic warfare system. The Pentagon Joint Artificial Intelligence Center recently released the report: "The Russian army technology is more advanced than the United States, and is rapidly developing artificial intelligence to obtain battlefield information advantages." In this case, laser communication has become one of the focus of the US military.
According to reports, this time the US Department of Defense Space Development Bureau has launched satellites since its establishment in 2019. The laser Internet communication system consists of 12 miniature "cube satellites", each satellite carries a C-band dual-wavelength full duplete light communication terminal (OCT) and an infrared (IR) payload, all parts have Atomic electromagnetic system company San Diego production plant design and manufacturing, there are currently two satellites entering the track began debugging operation. According to analysis, the US military and General atomic company will try to change the communication method, and want to grab the pre-satellite laser communication in front of Russia and other countries. Schkot Fonse, president of General Atomic Electromagnetic System Group, said that the future is optical communication world, the upcoming experiment marks the beginning of communication "evolution".
