Spire Global, a satellite manufacturer and operator based in Glasgow, UK, has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a pair of satellites that use optical inter-satellite links to send information between themselves securely and almost instantaneously. The satellites, each the size of a large box of cornflakes, will demonstrate the ability to send more than 1 GB of data securely between the two terminals during a short contact window when the spacecraft can see each other across the Earth. The technology, which was developed using an agile approach, offers higher resiliency to interference, higher security and higher efficiency than traditional radio frequency links. The successful launch of these two Glasgow-made satellites marks a milestone for how we look at intersatellite communications and make these technologies more efficient.
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