ESA, Airbus Defence and Space, TNO, and TESAT have achieved a world-first by establishing a gigabit-per-second laser communication link between a moving aircraft and a geostationary satellite 36,000 km away. During test flights in Nimes, France, Airbus' UltraAir terminal transmitted data at 2.6 Gbps error-free for several minutes while connected to the Alphasat TDP-1 satellite. Laser links offer advantages over radio frequencies including greater security, less interference, and higher bandwidth. The technology, developed under ESA's ScyLight programme, could enable reliable high-speed internet on planes, ships, and remote vehicles in the future.
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