Chinese Satellite Outpaces Starlink with 2 Watts Laser from 36,000 km

A breakthrough has emerged from Chinese space industry. Scientists have successfully transmitted high-speed data from a geostationary satellite—parked 36,000 kilometers above Earth—using a laser consuming just 2 watts of power, roughly the equivalent of a household LED bulb.

The result: a steady 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) downlink, a speed that dwarfs the typical user experience on SpaceX’s Starlink network.This achievement marks a significant step forward in optical satellite communications. While it hasn’t garnered the headlines of Elon Musk’s mega-constellations, experts say it could signal a shift toward more efficient, high-altitude systems for global connectivity.

Laser communications from space have long promised vast bandwidth advantages over traditional radio frequencies, which suffer from spectrum congestion and interference. But Earth’s atmosphere poses a formidable barrier: turbulence scatters and distorts narrow laser beams, often rendering them unusable for high-data-rate links.

Previous efforts relied on either adaptive optics (AO)—which uses deformable mirrors to correct wavefront distortions—or mode diversity reception (MDR), which captures scattered light across multiple channels. Neither approach alone proved sufficient under strong turbulence.

The Chinese team, led by Professor Wu Jian from Peking University of Posts and Telecommunications and Liu Chao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, combined the two into a novel “AO-MDR synergy” system. Tested at the Lijiang Observatory in southwest China, the setup employed a 1.8-meter telescope equipped with 357 micro-mirrors to reshape incoming light in real time.

The corrected beam was then split into eight channels via a multi-plane light converter, with an algorithm dynamically selecting the three strongest for decoding.

The outcome was impressive: a usable signal recovery rate of 91.1%, a substantial improvement over prior benchmarks around 72%. This enabled the 2-watt laser to sustain 1 Gbps over the vast distance to an unnamed geostationary satellite.

SpaceX’s Starlink has revolutionized broadband by deploying thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), about 550 km up. This approach delivers low latency—critical for gaming and video calls—and median download speeds often exceeding 100 Mbps for users, with peaks up to 300 Mbps or more in optimal conditions.

Yet the Chinese demonstration highlights the strengths of geostationary orbit (GEO): a single satellite can cover a third of the planet without the need for constant handovers between fast-moving spacecraft. The low-power efficiency—hundreds of times less than typical radio systems—also promises reduced energy demands and potentially lower costs for sparse networks.

While the 1 Gbps lab result outstrips Starlink’s real-world averages, direct comparisons are nuanced. GEO links inherently carry higher latency (around 240 ms round-trip due to distance), making them less ideal for real-time applications. Starlink’s LEO design prioritizes responsiveness, while the Chinese tech excels in raw throughput and security—laser beams are narrow, harder to intercept, and appealing for military or sensitive data transfers.

This isn’t an isolated feat. In early 2025, Chang Guang Satellite Technology achieved a separate milestone: 100 Gbps satellite-to-ground laser transmission using a mobile ground station and a Jilin-1 satellite. That record, ten times faster than the GEO test in bandwidth, highlights China’s rapid progress in optical links.

Laser systems also bypass radio spectrum limits, offering inherent resistance to jamming and vast data capacity for applications like deep-space missions, high-resolution Earth observation, and secure communications.

Scaling this GEO approach will demand expanded networks of laser-compatible ground stations, better all-weather performance (clouds remain a challenge), and further refinements. If successful, it could provide high-speed internet to underserved regions without the orbital clutter of LEO mega-constellations.

As the space race intensifies, China’s precision-focused strategy contrasts with the volume-driven model of Starlink. With fewer satellites delivering outsized performance, this low-watt wonder from orbit may quietly redefine what’s possible in satellite broadband—and remind the world that innovation doesn’t always come with fanfare.

Signpost NewsDesk

Signpost News is an Imphal-based media house that focuses on delivering news and views from Northeast India and beyond.