China has developed satellite transmitting data faster than Starlink in a blow to Musk

Chinese scientists have successfully developed a powerful laser communication system that enables data transmission from space at speeds surpassing those of Elon Musk’s Starlink network.

The Chinese satellite, operating from a geostationary orbit 36,000 km above Earth, has demonstrated data transfer speeds higher than Starlink, whose satellites orbit at just 550 km.

At the heart of this breakthrough is a 2-watt laser capable of transmitting data at an astonishing speed of 1 Gbps—five times faster than current Starlink capabilities. Despite its power, the laser beam is as narrow as a candle flame and remains stable even when passing through the Earth's turbulent atmosphere.

According to Interesting Engineering, the system resists atmospheric disruptions, enabling seamless, low-latency communication from space.

The innovation comes from Professor Wu Jian of Peking University and Professor Liu Chiao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Together, they developed a solution known as AO-MDR synergy, which combines adaptive optics (AO) and mode-diversity reception (MDR).

This advanced method fine-tunes and stabilizes the laser signal, effectively neutralizing atmospheric interference and ensuring highly reliable space-to-Earth communication.

(QG - Source: Interesting Engineering - Picture : © Unsplash)