Moon Lasers Are Creating the Galaxy’s Fastest Internet

http://www.nationaljournal.com ^ | February 18, 2014 | By Alex Brown

[nevergore]

Not really new technology , I was using this between buildings in a campus environment years ago .... Ranges varies with the newer systems but for terrestrial systems, weather , is the limiting factor ....

[Usagi_yo]

3 seconds ping time. Who cares. They aren’t playing Asteroids.

You know how we handled 3 second response times in the 70’s? We turned on ‘local echo’ on our ADM3A’s and typed away.

Wimps. They’ve never been on a PDP 11 with 200 other people.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger.

[bigheadfred]

Internet on the moon is 10 times faster.

HEY MOD! YOU HAVE BEEN SERVED! teehee

[lepton]

Yes...they travel at the same speed...but the increased bandwidth available for light yields faster data speeds...especially compared to copper, which heavily attenuates high frequencies.

[reed13k]

I think they are just talking about the frequency for the light being higher they can pack more data into a smaller time frame - I’m with you and others this isn’t a humoungous new breakthrough merely further development of existing tech.

[PIF]

That is because the words ‘galaxy’ and ‘solar system’ are interchangeable to today's reporters due to their advanced public school degrees in sensationalism.

[Gene Eric]

>> to transmit a pair of HD video signals to and from the moon.

Compressed?

[Red Badger]

One for each eye...................

[tophat9000]

But again what does the moon have to do with this...you sending data with light been doing that for a long time..so they claim some new breakthrough. .great some new variation on DWDM I guess. .great..what the hell does THE MOON have to do with what ever technology we are talking. .Why is a the moon a needed component in any technology that increases throughput of data..

[tophat9000]

The gist of the story I guess is it a breakthrough in free space optics transmission of data in outer-space, applicable to lunar and interplanetary communication..so it apply to a small unique niche need in data com and not some new technology that trumps all other data com technology

[lepton]

I dunno. I said, “We already know fiber has a faster maximum than copper, so it’s not a big deal. The big deal is when we can target [with lasers] a complete path on-the-fly,” which makes the same basic point.

[AFreeBird]

>>> Why is everyone wearing goggles if the laser is pointed at the moon?................... <<<

Because the beam is bouncing back. NASA put laser reflectors on the moon back in the Apollo era.