Amazon Inc. (Amazon) announced Thursday that its Kuiper project has successfully validated a key technology that will provide higher data throughput and lower latency for customers using its satellite internet services. This technique is called"Optical inter-satellite links"(OISL), which is an optical communication that uses infrared lasers to send data between spacecraft in orbit. This technology will enable the Kuiper satellites to form a mesh network in space, increasing the efficiency and reliability of data transmission.
OISL technology is an optical communication that uses infrared lasers to send data between spacecraft in orbit. Compared to traditional radio wave communication, OISL technology has the following advantages:
Higher data transfer rates: OISL technology can achieve data transfer rates of up to 100 Gbitits per second, much higher than the rate of radio wave communication.
Lower latency: OISL technology can reduce the time it takes for data to travel through space, resulting in lower latency. This is important for real-time applications such as conferencing, gaming, telemedicine, and more.
Greater security: The infrared laser beam used in the OISL technology is very narrow, making it difficult to intercept or interfere with. In addition, OISL technology can also make use of quantum cryptography to improve the confidentiality and integrity of data.
IISL technology has enabled satellite-to-satellite communication for some time, but early technology was limited to connecting two satellites at a time. The Kuiper satellite will be able to connect with many other spacecraft at the same time, creating a mesh network in space. This mesh capability is key: with this capability, Kuiper will be able to transfer data up to 30% faster than terrestrial fiber optic cables of the same distance.
Amazon had to overcome a series of challenges to achieve this advanced OISL technology. One of the biggest challenges is how to ensure precise alignment and stable maintenance of the laser link between high-speed spacecraft. The laser's beam had to be very narrow and precise to ensure docking even from 1,616 miles, while the spacecraft was moving at speeds of up to 15,534 miles per hour with all the relevant orbital dynamics.
To solve this problem, Amazon has developed a suite of advanced optical and control systems, including the following components:
High-precision lasers: Amazon uses a self-developed high-precision laser that can produce a very narrow beam with high power and stability.
Optical receiver with high sensitivity: Amazon uses a highly sensitive optical receiver that can detect weak laser signals at extremely low signal-to-noise ratios while having high immunity to interference.
High-speed optics***: Amazon uses high-speed optics that can align and track target spacecraft in milliseconds, with high accuracy and stability.
Efficient optical controller: Amazon uses a highly efficient optical controller that can automatically adjust the pointing and output of the laser based on real-time orbit data and environmental conditions, while providing high reliability and robustness.
Amazon has tested and validated the OISL technology several times in space, with impressive results. Amazon has completed multiple demonstrations of OISL technology on two prototype satellites launched in October, during which the satellites have maintained links at 100 gbits per second over a distance of more than 620 miles. These tests validate the last component of KUIPER's advanced communications architecture, and the results ensure that OISL will be operational on the first production satellites, which are scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2024.
Amazon confirmed last month that it had verified all systems and subsystems on both prototype satellites, but this is the first time the company has disclosed the details behind the advanced OISL architecture. Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology at Kuiper, said in a statement: "Through optical inter-satellite links on our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper will effectively operate as a mesh network in space. The system was designed entirely in-house to optimize speed, cost, and reliability, and the entire architecture worked flawlessly from the start. ”
Amazon expects to deploy enough satellites in the second half of 2024 to begin early customer pilots. According to the company's license from the FCC, the entire constellation, which must be launched by July 2029, will consist of 3,236 satellites in low-Earth orbit. Amazon's goal is to improve the quality of life and economic opportunities by providing high-speed, low-latency, low-cost satellite internet services to billions of people around the world who do not have access to the internet.
Amazon's kuiper project isn't the only one working on satellite internet services. Currently, several competitors are developing or operating similar satellite constellations, the most notable of which are SpaceX's Starlink project and OneWeb's OneWeb project.
The Starlink project, led by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, aims to build a constellation of about 12,000 satellites to provide high-speed, low-latency, low-cost satellite internet services to the world. The Starlink project has already launched more than 1,600 satellites and is beginning to provide limited service in some areas. The advantage of the Starlink project is that it has its own rocket launch capabilities, which can reduce costs and increase flexibility. The challenge for the Starlink project is that it needs to address orbital congestion and space debris due to the large number of satellites, as well as coordination with astronomers and other satellite operators.
Jointly owned by the UK** and Indian telecommunications giant Bharti Airtel, the OneWeb project aims to build a constellation of about 650 satellites to provide high-speed, low-latency, low-cost satellite internet services around the world. The OneWeb project has already launched more than 250 satellites and plans to begin providing global coverage in 2022. The advantage of the oneweb project is that it has the support and cooperation of multiple countries and institutions, which can increase the influence of its market and policies. The challenge with the OneWeb project is that it relies on external rocket launch services, which can increase costs and risks.
Amazon's kuiper project has its own advantages and challenges compared to these competitors. The advantage of the Kuiper project is that it has Amazon's strong technical and financial backing, as well as its advanced OISL technology, which can provide higher data transfer rates and lower latency. The challenge for the Kuiper project was that it needed to speed up the production and launch of satellites to catch up with competitors, as well as integration issues with other businesses and services under Amazon's umbrella.
Amazon successfully validates the optical inter-satellite link
In the future, the market for satellite Internet services will become more and more intense, and companies will compete to provide better quality of service and lower service** to attract more customers. Amazon's kuiper project has great potential and opportunities, but it also faces challenges and risks. Amazon needs to constantly innovate and improve in order to succeed and lead in this space.