Russian Scientists Develop Laser Tech to Boost Space Data Transmission

Researchers at ITMO University have created a method of using twisted laser beams to establish multiple data channels, promising faster and more reliable communications in space.

Scientists at Russia’s ITMO University have tackled one of the key challenges in space communications: increasing bandwidth and reliability for data transmission across vast distances. Their solution is a set of vortex, or twisted, laser beams, each of which functions as an independent communication channel.

Currently, free-space optical communication—similar in principle to optical Wi-Fi—is used for such transmissions. Data is encoded into a laser beam and sent across space. But these systems face limits of around 20 Gbps, and signal stability often depends heavily on external conditions.

The Russian researchers’ twisted light beams can create multiple simultaneous channels, significantly boosting capacity. The more projections are used, the greater the amount of data that can be transmitted at once. The technology opens the door to faster, more reliable links in space, with major implications for satellite communications and long-distance data exchange.