It can transmit data at speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s over distances of about 1.5 thousand km and will even fit on a microsatellite
Specialists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have developed a prototype of a compact laser communication terminal for spacecraft. Such an installation can be used even on small CubeSat-class devices, the MIPT press service reported. The laser system makes it possible to realize communications of a fundamentally new quality with orbit and space, primarily due to its high throughput.
Unlike radio waves, a laser beam is not scattered so much, and the density of its radiation in the target sector is greater than that of a radio transmitter, so you can do without receivers tens of meters long, MIPT notes. The space laser communication terminal created by Russian scientists consumes about 15 Watts of energy and is capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s over distances of about 1.5 thousand km. The body and some other parts of the system were manufactured using 3D printing and CNC machines, while all components of the system can fit into a small box that can even be stored on a microsatellite.
Such equipment in the future will allow Russian orbital probes to exchange information both between devices in orbit and to communicate with ground stations. In the near future, the developers plan to create a new version of the prototype, which will receive improved optics and will be completely ready for installation on board a real spacecraft.