The European Space Agency in partnership with Airbus has recently launched their newest communications satellite, EDRS-C which aims to deliver big volumes of data at high speeds to give us updates of what's happening on Earth's atmosphere in near-real time.
EDRS is a globally unique network of geostationary relay satellites that can deliver data volumes of up to 1.8 gigabits per second to Earth with minimal delay using laser communications. The system is a public-private partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Prime Contractor, Airbus.
“In the past, satellites were only linked to one or more ground stations. With the development of EDRS, we are making a paradigm shift towards an optically networked satellite infrastructure. With greater security and much higher bandwidth, EDRS enables the transmission of images and data in near-real time,” says Walther Pelzer, DLR Executive Board Member.
(Image credit: Arianespace)