Scientists make a first-of-its-kind connection between an aircraft and a geostationary satellite

In the past, scientists had to rely on radio waves for connectivity. These radio waves spread as they travel. With the increasing number of satellites, there is an increased risk of interference and security threats. To solve this, scientists are shifting toward laser connectivity.

In a recent test over Nîmes, France, ESA and its partners successfully connected an aircraft to a satellite using laser technology. During the flight, the system transmitted data at 2.6 gigabits per second for several minutes without errors. At that speed, downloading an HD movie would take just seconds.

In the test, the aircraft maintained a steady connection with the Alphasat TDP-1, located 36,000 kilometers above Earth. What makes this even more fascinating is that the aircraft was moving at high speed while also dealing with clouds and atmospheric changes. Still, the system delivered reliable connectivity throughout.

The UltraAir laser terminal used for this test was developed by Airbus, one of the partners on this project. The terminal was developed under ESA’s ScyLight program.

In the future, this breakthrough could offer high-speed internet for people travelling on planes, ships, or even vehicles moving through remote regions. It could also strengthen secure communications for both commercial and defence missions in Europe.