Sony announced the creation of a new subsidiary for the introduction of advanced technologies in a fast -growing space sector. Sony Space Communications Corp, registered yesterday, will develop and supply devices that allow satellites in orbit to exchange data using lasers.
Image source: Sony
The technology of laser communication will avoid the shortcomings characteristic of the radio communications systems suffering from the deficiency of free frequencies. Sony modules will provide data between satellites and the connection of satellites with ground stations. The time of the start of the commercial operation of technology and the cost of the project will be announced later.
It is known that now in the orbit of the Earth there are approximately 12 thousand satellites and their number in the coming years will be rapidly increasing as the development of aerospace companies will reduce the cost of output of objects into space. It is known that companies like SpaceX are already expanding extensive satellite groups to ensure Internet access from anywhere in the world.
According to Sony, the amount of data circulating in orbit also increases annually. In this case, the ranges of available radio frequencies are limited. SpaceX already releases its own modules for laser satellite communications, for the first time the corresponding technologies began to be used in Starlink satellites at the end of last year, original developments are also available in China.
Sony is not a complete newcomer in the industry. For the first time, the company conducted successful laser communications tests in space in 2020, transferring the images of high resolution on the beam to the ground communication station in Japan from the ISS.