Chinanews.com, Beijing, August 13 (Guo Chaokai) A reporter learned from China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation on the 13th that recently, "Xingyun II" has achieved two-way communication with a complete chain construction process and stable telemetry status between 01 and 02. This means that the laser communication payload technology carried by the "Xingyun-2" satellite has been successfully verified, and the Chinese satellite Internet of Things constellation has achieved a zero breakthrough in inter-satellite laser communication. So far, since the two satellites were launched into orbit on May 12 this year to carry out in-orbit technical testing, all core technologies have been fully verified.
Inter-satellite laser communication is a communication method that uses laser beams as carrier waves to transmit images, voices, signals and other information in space. It has the advantages of high transmission rate, strong anti-interference ability, small system terminal size, light weight, and low power consumption. , Can greatly reduce the satellite constellation system's dependence on the ground network, thereby reducing the number and construction cost of ground customs stations, expanding the coverage area, and realizing global measurement and control. It is reported that the "Xingyun II" 01 and 02 satellites have a laser communication payload of 6.5 kilograms and a power consumption of 80 watts in orbit.
Xingyun-2 01, 02 laser communication simulation diagram. Photo courtesy of Aerospace Sanjiang
"Xingyun II" 01 and 02 were developed by the Aerospace Sanjiang Xingyun Company, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. It is the first star of the space-based Internet of Things (Xingyun Project) and was successfully launched on May 12, 2020 After entering orbit, a series of on-orbit technology verification and industry demonstration application tests were launched.
As China’s first space-based Internet of Things constellation to announce its independent investment and construction, the "Traveling Cloud Project" is planned to be divided into three phases, α, β, and γ, to build a space-based Internet of Things constellation composed of 80 low-orbit communication satellites around 2023. , Completely solve the current terrestrial Internet of Things business due to the serious shortage of cellular communication network coverage (land coverage is about 20%, ocean coverage is less than 5%), which causes the "communication blind spot" problem, and help customers realize the true global interconnection of everything.
At present, inter-satellite laser link technology has become a key technology for the development of global satellite communication systems. Public information shows that among the global low and medium orbit constellation projects, only the Starlink constellation and LeoSat constellation in the United States have proposed plans to use inter-satellite laser links to achieve space networking. In China, Xingyun has developed China's smallest inter-satellite laser communication payload, achieving a zero breakthrough in laser communication in the domestic satellite Internet of Things constellation, and breaking the bottleneck of information transmission between satellite Internet of Things constellations. (Finish)