After demonstrating 100 gigabits per second optical links between its satellite models, Amazon’s Project Kuiper will include laser links on each satellite in its constellation to form a mesh network in space. Read the details here!
Although it may be difficult for some to imagine, space lasers have become essential to the development of extraterrestrial technology and improvements to who we are on Earth. The company that is getting more and more involved in this technology is Amazonthe company with which Project Kuiper It has developed optical inter-satellite link (OISL) capabilities to create a mesh network with laser links on each satellite in its constellation. This can result in faster data transfer.
in October, Amazon It launched two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, and a month later reported successful tests, with the pair transmitting and retrieving data at speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second over a distance of nearly a thousand kilometers over the entire launch period. . guide. The final component of the advanced communications architecture has been validated for Project Kuiper The results ensure that the OISL satellites will operate on the first production satellites, scheduled for launch in the first half of 2024.
“These tests demonstrated our ability to create a single bi-directional link between two satellites, and preliminary data indicates that our design will be able to maintain cross-links between multiple satellites simultaneously, a critical advantage for a next-generation network in space.“It is to explain Amazon in launch.
“With OISL through our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper It will effectively function as a mesh network in the space“, He said Rajeev Badial, Vice President of Technology Project Kuiper. “This entire system was designed in-house to optimize speed, cost and reliability, and the entire architecture has worked perfectly from the start. These immediate results are only possible because we approach our OISL architecture as part of a fully integrated system design.” We are excited to be able to support OISL capabilities “Next Generation on all Kuiper satellites from day one.”
As explained by AmazonOISLs use infrared lasers to send data between spacecraft as they orbit the planet. Instead of simply sending data between an individual satellite and ground antennas, OISL allows satellites to send data directly to other satellites in the constellation. For this reason, they equip each satellite with… Project Kuiper With multiple optical terminals to connect multiple satellites simultaneously, creating high-speed laser cross-links that form a secure and resilient mesh network in space. ““These capabilities increase performance and reduce latency across our entire portfolio, providing more flexibility to connect Kuiper customers on land, sea, air and space.”They say in the statement.
Another advantage of OISLs is the speed with which data can be transferred around the world. Light travels faster in space than through glass, which means Kuiper’s orbiting grating laser can transmit data 30% faster than if it traveled a similar distance via terrestrial fiber-optic cables. And how? Project Kuiper Leverages AWS service and infrastructure to route data traffic, Amazon It ensures that they can further reduce latency across your entire network.
To use OISL successfully, laser links had to maintain contact at a distance of up to 2,600 kilometers while at the same time competing with spacecraft moving at speeds of up to 25,000 kilometers per hour. next to, Amazon They had to reduce the spread of light to preserve the signal and account for any additional dynamics from all these moving parts, something they claim they did successfully.
Therefore, OISL capabilities Amazon will be allowed to Project Kuiper “Move and deliver data anywhere through its mesh network in space, providing secure and resilient connectivity to a wide range of enterprise and public sector customers.” This is important for those working in areas with no ground station nearby, allowing them to securely link data from anywhere on Earth, transmit it across space via laser communications, and deliver it to the destination of their choice.
Optical mesh network Amazon It will provide multiple paths to route data across space, creating flexibility and redundancy for customers who need to move information securely around the world“, He said Ricky Freeman vice president Kuiper government solutionssplit inside Project Kuiper Focused on public sector clients. “This is especially important for those looking to avoid communications infrastructures that could be intercepted or jammed, and we hope to make these capabilities available to public sector customers looking to move and send data from remote locations to the desired destination.”
he Project Kuiper “Satellite manufacturing begins before they are deployed.”Widely“which begins in the first half of 2024. In addition, Amazon He added that they hope to deploy enough satellites to begin the first trial tests with customers in the second half of 2024.
