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Chinese scientists move a step closer to 6G network after space test of new satellite communication technology
- The ‘spaceborne optical switching technology’ was tested in August when it was sent into orbit by China’s Y7 carrier rocket
- The new communication technology is integral in the development of satellite internet and the 6G network
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A milestone achievement in a crucial communication device – which may pave the way for satellite internet, a key part in the development of 6G networks – has been announced by a team of scientists in China.
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When mounted on a satellite, the device can pass light signals from one location to another without converting them to electrical signals, working more or less like a mirror.
Now it has been successfully tested in space, the team from the Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced.
The team of scientists has dedicated more than a decade to developing the device to enhance the capability, flexibility and speed of information transmission.
Their equipment, which is called “spaceborne optical switching technology”, was sent into orbit by China’s Y7 carrier rocket in August, according to a statement released by the academy last Sunday, saying it was the first time in China that such a device was tested on a satellite.
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When downloaded and unfolded on the ground, the image information carried remained intact without any data loss.
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