Sending tightly focused laser-beam signals to a satellite has big advantages
over using radio waves. Lasers are more secure, require less power, have a wider
bandwidth and don鈥檛 interfere with other transmissions. The snag is that light
is blocked by clouds. But in WO 01/52453, the Applied Physics Laboratory at the
Johns Hopkins University in Maryland suggests floating a balloon to an altitude
of 20 kilometres鈥攚ay above the clouds鈥攁nd anchoring it with a
lightweight tether. Optical fibres woven into the tether carry signals up to the
balloon, where a solar-powered amplifier retransmits the pulses as a laser beam
to a satellite in orbit.
More from New 女生小视频
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Quantum computing may be facing a replication crisis
News
Technology
Rogue hacking AIs have changed the cybersecurity landscape
News
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Technology
We should decide how AI shapes the future, not tech firms
Comment
Popular articles
Trending New 女生小视频 articles