Laser satellite communications (also called optical or free-space optical communications) use laser beams instead of radio frequencies to transmit data between satellites and between satellites and ground stations. Optical links offer 10-100x higher data rates than RF, lower size/weight/power, and inherent security through narrow beam divergence. The technology is critical for mega-constellation backhaul and is rapidly being adopted for inter-satellite links.
Checked 10 October 2026. Source
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