The country's first 500-millimeter aperture laser communication ground system independently developed by the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was put into use in the Pamir Plateau on Sunday.

This is expected to take the country's satellite communication capability to a new level, which in turn will boost the entire astronautical industry.

Thanks to their high frequency and low wavelength, microwaves can pass through the ionosphere without being reflected and lost, making them an efficient data transmission medium between orbiting satellites and the ground station.

However, it sets a limit on the bandwidth, which means only a few gigabytes per second can be transmitted from satellite to ground station and this can hardly be enhanced.

That's where laser communication comes in. Lasers can travel in a straight line for long distances without significant decay, making lasers an excellent medium for communication involving satellites. China successfully conducted the world's first bidirectional laser communication experiment between a high-orbit satellite and the ground in 2018, achieving a communication rate of 5 gigabytes across 40 kilometers from satellite to ground.

Just two years later, SpaceX was able to transmit hundreds of gigabytes through laser communication between satellites.

The first 500-mm aperture laser communication ground system is a sign that China has taken a lead in the sector. Its use heralds better satellite-based communication. The astronautical sector will also see progress with better communication tools.