China sustains two way satellite laser link for three hours

Wednesday 04 March 2026 - 14:50

By: Dakir Madiha

China sustains two way satellite laser link for three hours

Chinese researchers have achieved a major milestone in space communications by maintaining a stable two way laser link with a geostationary satellite for more than three hours, demonstrating progress in high speed optical data transmission between Earth and space.

The experiment, announced on March 3, connected a ground station in China’s Yunnan province with a satellite positioned up to 40,740 kilometers away in geostationary orbit. The system transmitted data at a speed of one gigabit per second in both directions throughout the test.

The project was led by the Institute of Optics and Electronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the China Academy of Space Technology.

Researchers used a domestically developed 1.8 meter ground based laser communication station equipped with precision pointing control and adaptive optics designed to correct atmospheric distortion. These technologies allowed engineers to stabilize the optical signal despite atmospheric interference.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the system established the connection within four seconds and maintained uninterrupted two way communication for more than three hours. Scientists described the result as a shift in satellite laser communication capability from minute level connections to hour long stability.

The researchers said the breakthrough could enable high orbit satellites to evolve from simple relay platforms into advanced processing nodes capable of receiving complex commands and managing data in real time.

They also noted that the technology could support future deep space missions, including laser communication links with probes traveling to the Moon and Mars.

The Chinese milestone came alongside a separate breakthrough in Europe. The European Space Agency, Airbus Defence and Space, TNO and TESAT announced they had successfully established a laser communication link between an aircraft in flight and the Alphasat satellite in geostationary orbit.

During test flights conducted in December 2025 from Nîmes in southern France, the system achieved data transmission speeds of 2.6 gigabits per second. The test campaign produced 31 successful connections, with seven transmitting data without any bit errors.

Laurent Jaffart, director of resilience, navigation and connectivity at the European Space Agency, said the demonstration shows how optical communications could transform secure satellite connectivity for European member states.

These parallel developments highlight a growing international competition to replace traditional radio frequency satellite links with laser based systems capable of much higher data rates and improved resistance to interception.

China has already demonstrated additional progress in the field. In January 2026, another Chinese research team achieved a peak download speed of 120 gigabits per second from a low Earth orbit satellite to a ground station on the Pamir Plateau.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency is developing its HydRON optical network, designed to demonstrate terabit scale data transmission across multiple orbital layers. The first satellite in the project is expected to launch in 2026.