According to the BBC on January 30, Europe is on the verge of building a "superhighway network" in earth orbit that USES laser beams to transmit data from space. An important part of the network was a communications satellite launched from baikonur, kazakhstan. According to the report, the satellite will use laser communications to collect images of the earth taken by other spacecraft and transmit them to the ground. One of the benefits of the new technology is faster transmission of information about natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, to emergency workers.

Currently, it can take a long time for earth observation satellites to send pictures back to earth.

Part of the problem is that satellites can transmit images only when they fly over the earth for a single signal, according to the report. Of the time they spend circling the earth every 90 minutes, only 10 minutes are available to receive antennas on the ground. The European space agency (ESA) has solved this problem by uploading images to a satellite in higher orbit that can maintain uninterrupted contact with the ground and sending them back to earth.

The European space agency (esa) recently launched two satellites equipped with optional directional transmissions to upload information.

According to the European space agency's corporate partner, airbus defense and space, after testing the method, images can be placed on the desks of people on the ground 20 minutes after they ask for them.

In some cases, such as monitoring pollution incidents, illegal fishing or piracy, this can help to respond quickly and effectively.

The "European Data Relay System" (EDRS), which has been under construction for 10 years, is reported to be key to enabling laser beam communication between satellites. EDRS will continue to be tested over the next few months and is expected to be operational this summer.