According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT), engineers
The TBIRD payload, which was launched into orbit in May 2022 , sent data at speeds of up to 100 gigabits This is 1,000 times faster than traditional methods.This means that sending information to and from space will be greatly improved by this new technology.
With traditional radio frequency channels,used for satellite communications, the data transfer rate is 0.1 MB per second. The SpaceX Starlink satellite Internet service takes on average from 20 to 100 MB. But this is still much less than the TBIRD system.
The infrared light used in TBIRD is very different from traditional radio waves. It sends data in denser waves.
MIT engineers created the TBIRD payload, about the size of a tissue box, using three readily available components:
- optical signal amplifier,
- capacious high-speed storage,
- high speed optical modem.
Engineers subjected the components to radiation, shock, vibration and thermal vacuum tests to ensure they would work in space.
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