Using Lasers To Talk To Satellites (opens in new tab)

How do we get data from a satellite down to Earth? How do we task a satellite? Today the answer is likely to be via radios and a system of downlink sites or ground stations. As the satellites pass overhead or within “line of sight” data can be sent via radio from the satellite to the receiver on the ground. If you don’t want to wait until the satellite can see the ground station, you can send your data to a geostationary satellite that can always see a ground station and let it send the data ...