A team of Chinese scientists has reportedly developed a new way to improve satellite laser communication from space to Earth, achieving faster data speeds despite atmospheric interference. According to a South China Morning Post, researchers led by Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts and Telecommunications and Liu Chao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have managed to transmit data to a ground station at speeds of 1 gigabit per second using a 2-watt laser from a satellite over 36,000 kilometers above the Earth.

This, the report says, is significantly faster than current systems such as Starlink, which offers speeds in the megabit range.The team tested the method using a 1.8-meter telescope at a research facility in Lijiang, southwest China. The system targets the challenges of atmospheric turbulence, which weakens and distorts laser signals as they pass through the Earth’s atmosphere.

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To address this, the scientists combined two existing techniques—adaptive optics (AO) and mode diversity reception (MDR). The combined AO-MDR method helped correct the shape of distorted light beams and captured multiple signal modes simultaneously, improving both signal strength and reliability.

In their paper – published on June 3 – in the journal Acta Optica Sinica, the researchers said the technique reduced transmission errors and increased the chance of receiving usable signals from 72% to over 91%.The method was tested using advanced components such as 357 micro-mirrors inside the telescope to reshape the laser’s wavefront and a multi-plane converter that split the signal into eight channels.

A custom-built algorithm selected the three strongest channels for data transmission in real time.China has been expanding its research and development in laser-based satellite communications. In 2020, its Shijian-20 satellite achieved a record 10Gbps laser downlink from geostationary orbit. The power level used on that satellite remains undisclosed.