A major obstacle for using lasers rather than radio communication in space has been successfully targeted by Japanese researchers. Unlike radio waves, optical wireless communication eliminates the need for frequency allocation and wireless licenses, while offering high-speed connectivity. However, optical signals are vulnerable to atmospheric turbulence. In the Japanese project, advanced error correction codes were applied, mitigating the problem.
Atmospheric turbulence is known to cause fading of optical signals, resulting in so-called burst data errors. Researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and the Nagoya Institute of Technology, collaborated with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The collaboration has achieved the world’s first successful demonstration of next-generation error correction codes, mitigating the impact of atmospheric turbulence.
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Submitted by Morten Anderson
