The Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully conducted a business-oriented application experiment in satellite-to-ground laser communications with data rates exceeding 100 Gbps, achieving a peak transmission speed of 120 Gbps.

The results demonstrate a stable communication link and excellent data downlink quality. This milestone follows the team's previous breakthroughs of 10 Gbps in 2023 and 60 Gbps in 2025, marking a new step forward in China's capability for operational satellite-to-ground laser communication.

The experiment was carried out using a self-developed 500 mm-aperture laser communication system at a laser ground station on the Pamir Plateau in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in coordination with the AIRSAT-02 satellite. Without any modifications to the satellite's hardware, the team significantly enhanced performance through on-orbit software reconfiguration, fully unlocking the potential of the laser communication payload and doubling its capacity from 60 Gbps to 120 Gbps.

This achievement sets a new domestic record for satellite-to-ground laser communication transmission speed and addresses key challenges associated with ultra-high-speed links, including rapid link establishment, long-duration stable operation, and efficient, reliable data transmission.

During the experiment, the satellite and ground station achieved second-level acquisition and link establishment, with a success rate exceeding 93 percent. The maximum continuous communication duration reached 108 seconds, during which a total of 12.656 terabits of data were transmitted. High-quality remote sensing imagery was successfully received and processed.

The laser ground station, which participated in the experiment, is China's first satellite-to-ground laser communication station to operate in a commercialized, routine mode. Since its completion in September 2024, it has supported multiple operational missions.

Satellite-to-ground laser communication is widely regarded as the optimal solution for ultra-high-speed transmission of massive spaceborne data. Ongoing operational validation indicates that the technology now possesses the core technical conditions and capabilities required to support the downlink of large-scale space data in the future.