China claims its high-orbit laser communication tops Starlink speed

Chinese scientists have reportedly achieved a breakthrough in satellite laser communication by transmitting data at 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) from a geostationary satellite to Earth using a low-power 2-watt laser. This speed is claimed to be five times faster than SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, which typically delivers speeds of only a few Mbps from much lower orbits (about 550 kilometers above Earth). The main obstacle in satellite laser downlinks—atmospheric turbulence that distorts and weakens signals—was addressed through a novel “AO-MDR synergy” technique combining Adaptive Optics (AO) and Mode Diversity Reception (MDR). This method was tested at the Lijiang observatory in China, where a 1.8-meter telescope equipped with 357 micro-mirrors corrected the distorted laser light, which was then processed through multiple channels to select the strongest signals using a “path-picking” algorithm. The researchers, led by Professor Wu Jian and Liu