The ESA describes this system – dubbed the “SpaceDataHighway” – as the most sophisticated laser communication network ever designed.EDRS-C helps Earth-observing satellites to transmit large quantities of date to Europe in near-real time. This is the second operational node of the constellation, following EDRS-A.
The ESA writes:
The EDRS satellites use lasers to communicate with Earth-observation satellites and beam their data back to Europe in almost real time. Without them, there would be delays of up to 90 minutes.
EDRS-C has joined its sister satellite, EDRS-A, and can now be used by its customers to relay information from all four Sentinel satellites that watch over Earth, capturing day-and-night radar images and multispectral high-resolution images of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas – as well as information for emergency services.
We reported back in in May that it had completed its in-orbit commissioning review and was ready to start service.It was launched on 6 August 2019 and is in geostationary orbit 36 000 kilometres above Earth.The EDRS is a “Partnership Project” between ESA and operator Airbus, as part of ESA’s efforts to stimulate technology developments and achieve economic benefits.The EDRS-C satellite platform was built by OHB System in Germany and the laser terminals were developed by Tesat-Spacecom and the DLR German Space Administration.
Source: This news is taken from www.electronicsweekly.com
