back to article Europe's satellite laser comms system set to shine

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus Defence and Space are poised to launch the first orbiting component of the European Data Relay System (EDRS), aka the "SpaceDataHighway", described as "the most sophisticated laser communication network ever designed". On 27 January, the EDRS-A node will lift off from Baikonur …

  1. x 7

    so whats happening with EDRS-B?

    1. kmac499

      EDRS-B(Ark) delayed due to it's telecomms handset undergoing deep clean and sanitize prior to lauch.

    2. Ben Bonsall

      The shark died and it takes a while to train a new one...

      (fsking ie keeps stripping off post values)

      1. Danny 14

        you might have something there with mobile laser sharks.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It should be dubbed SkyNet tho

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      You forgot-

      "It should be dubbed SkyNet tho"

      ...to start that sentence with "chan-"

      Who? Me?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Re: You forgot-

        Yeah... we get it... you're a Doctor Who fan...

        Now get off my planet...

    2. Alan.Griffiths.2013
      Devil

      There's already a satellite comms system called Skynet...

      See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_(satellite)

  3. This post has been deleted by its author

  4. batfastad
    Joke

    That will be one heck of a trip to replace those GBICs.

  5. The_Idiot

    Er, no officer...

    ... I'm not planning to take over the world.

    Oh, that laser in my back garden? That's just my satellite internet connection, honest!

    1. DropBear
      Trollface

      Re: Er, no officer...

      ...in unrelated news, the use of satellite phones is now banned around airports.

  6. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    that thing in the photo

    just looks like some sort of steampunk CD player

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Coat

      Yeah, but gold-plated, man !

      Space hardware has always been bling-ed up before the word was even invented. That's how cool space is.

      1. abedarts

        buy why?

        Whys does something going into space need to be gold plated?

        1. Anonymous Coward
        2. Highroads

          Re: buy why?

          Gold has a low infrared emissivity - that means it won't lose much heat by radiation at the temperatures we are used to. In this case it is probably meant to keep the structure at a very uniform temperature, so that it does not distort too much. Distortion would affect the pointing accuracy to the next satellite.

          Gold would also stop the surface corroding but there are better and cheaper ways of doing that. There are space qualified paints or other coatings.

          Gold on its own would get rather hot in the sunlight as it absorbs light in the visible and ultraviolet but does not radiate much in the infrared. Usually there would be multiple layers of insulation or MLI blanket over the top of what you see in the picture to protect the system from the cold of space and from the Sun's heat.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: buy why?

            If gold is able to absorb more energy than it emits, wouldn't putting a gold coin out in the sun eventually cause it to melt? At some point it must reach a temperature where its IR emission equals the energy it is receiving from the Sun.

            1. Highroads

              Re: buy why?

              That's right there will be an equilibrium reached for an object in space between the energy absorbed and the heat radiated to the background of space. For a gold surface facing the Sun in low earth orbit and insulated on the back this probably will not be high enough temperature to melt the gold. You can work out the temperatures roughly.

              Heat energy radiated to space approx = area *5.67x10^-8* infrared emissivity * (temperature in Kelvin)^4 .

              I've simplified the equation here by assuming the background is 0 Kelvin rather than 3 Kelvin.

              5.67x10^-8 is approx. the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

              Solar heat input at Earth orbit say 1400 W/m^2

              Gold solar absorptance 0.2 -> so 280 W absorbed per m^2

              I worked out the temperature to be 705 Kelvin or 430 Celsius.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: that thing in the photo

      ... would look good on top of my hifi rack.

  7. Frumious Bandersnatch

    naming

    Since they seem to have reinvented Fidonet, I propose they call it "Laikanet" in honour of, you know ...

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