I-Airbus ihlanganyele amabutho ne-VDL Group ukuthuthukisa nokukhiqiza indawo yokuxhumana ye-laser yezindiza, eyaziwa nge-UltraAir.
Ngokusekelwe ekuthuthukisweni okuholwa yi-Airbus kanye ne-Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), lezi zinkampani ezimbili manje zizolungiselela ukuboniswa kwe-prototype kanye nokuhlolwa kokuqala kwendiza ngo-2024.
Kusukela ngo-2024, i-Airbus kanye ne-VDL Group - umphakeli wezimboni wezobuchwepheshe obuphezulu wase-Dutch - izoqhubekisela phambili ukwenza imboni ye-prototype ukuze ikulungele ukuhlanganiswa nendiza ebamba indiza. I-VDL iletha umklamo wokukhiqiza kubambiswano futhi izokhiqiza amasistimu abalulekile. Ukuhlolwa kwendiza yalesi sibonelo sezimboni kuhlelwa ngo-2025 endizeni.
I-UltraAir izovumela ukushintshaniswa kwenani elikhulu ledatha kusetshenziswa imishayo ye-laser kunethiwekhi yeziteshi eziphansi namasathelayithi ku-geostationary orbit ku-36,000 km ngaphezu komhlaba. Ngobuchwepheshe obungenakuqhathaniswa obuhlanganisa uhlelo lwe-optical mechatronic oluzinzile kakhulu futhi olunembayo, lesi siphetho se-laser sizovula indlela yamazinga okudlulisa idatha angafinyelela kumagigabhithi amaningana ngomzuzwana kuyilapho ihlinzeka ngokuvimba ukujamza kanye namathuba aphansi okunqamula.
Ngale ndlela, i-UltraAir izovumela izindiza zamasosha kanye nama-UAV (Izimoto Zasemoyeni Ezingenamuntu) ukuthi zixhumeke ngaphakathi kwefu lokulwa lezizinda eziningi ngenxa yeqoqo lezinkanyezi lesathelayithi elisekelwe nge-laser njenge-Airbus' SpaceDataHighway. Lesi yingqopha-mlando kumephu yomgwaqo wesu lonke le-Airbus lokuqhubekisela phambili ukuxhumana nge-laser, okuzoletha izinzuzo zalobu buchwepheshe njengomehluko oyinhloko wokuhlinzeka ngokubambisana kwezizinda eziningi zokulwa kuhulumeni namakhasimende ezokuvikela. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, i-UltraAir ingase isetshenziswe ezindizeni zezentengiselwano ukuze kuvunyelwe abagibeli bezindiza ukuthi basungule ukuxhumana kwedatha okunesivinini esikhulu.
Kuthathwa njengesixazululo sethrafikhi yedatha eminyakeni ye-quantum, ubuchwepheshe bezokuxhumana nge-laser buwushintsho olulandelayo kwezokuxhumana ngesathelayithi (satcom). Njengoba isidingo somkhawulokudonsa wesathelayithi sikhula, amabhendi endabuko erediyo ye-satcom ahlangabezana nobunzima. Ukuxhumana nge-Laser kuletha idatha ephindwe ka-1,000, ngokushesha izikhathi eziyi-10 kunenethiwekhi yamanje. Izixhumanisi ze-laser nazo zinenzuzo yokugwema ukuphazamiseka nokutholwa, njengoba ziqhathaniswa namaza omsakazo agcwele abantu akunzima kakhulu ukuwabamba ngenxa ye-beam encane kakhulu. Ngakho, amatheminali e-laser angaba lula, adle amandla amancane futhi anikeze ukuvikeleka okungcono kakhulu kunomsakazo.
Ixhaswe ngokubambisana yi-Airbus kanye ne-VDL Group, iphrojekthi ye-UltraAir iphinde isekelwe uhlelo lwe-ESA ScyLight (Secure and Laser Communication Technology) kanye nohlelo lwe-“NxtGen Hightech”, njengengxenye ye-Dutch Growth Fund, eholwa yi-TNO kanye nenhlangano enkulu. iqembu lezinkampani zaseDutch.
