SpaceOpsLab · Space Comms Explorer

🔦 Laser vs RF 📡

💾 Comparison payload

Choose a payload, then compare RF vs laser over distance.

🌍 Preset distance

Planets use nearest-approach distance; real distance can be much larger.

📏 Distance

Example preset: Moon · average Earth–Moon distance

📡 RF baseline type RF means radio-frequency communication. VHF/UHF, S/X-band and Ka-band are different radio/microwave ranges. Ka-band is a higher-frequency microwave band, often used for higher-rate satellite links, but it is more sensitive to pointing, rain fade and link budget.

📡 RF baseline rate

🔦 Laser data rate Laser/optical links can support very high data rates because the beam is narrow and high frequency. The trade-off is tighter pointing and stronger dependence on clear optical path/weather.

☁️ Optical weather This affects the laser row only. Clouds, haze, smoke and rain can reduce or block optical communications. RF links are generally less affected by cloud than optical links.

☁️ Atmosphere / cloud loss

📡 RF download time Uses the selected RF baseline rate and distance/range adjustment.

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🔦 Laser download time Uses payload size, laser data rate, distance/range adjustment, and optical weather loss.

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⏱️ Light time one-way The one-way signal delay at light speed across the selected distance.

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Download time longer = slower

📶 RF—

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🔦 Laser—

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RF slider changes RF only. Laser controls change laser only.

🔦 Laser link

🌍 Preset distance

Planet values use near-approach distances; far-side distances can be much larger.

📏 Manual distance

Example preset: Moon · average Earth–Moon distance

⚡ Transmit optical power

🔦 Beam spread / divergence

tighter beamwider beam

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🔭 Receiver aperture

🎯 Pointing error

☁️ Atmosphere / cloud loss

📡 Receiver sensitivity target

🔦 Laser link status

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📥 Estimated received power Estimated received optical power after beam spread, pointing error, receiver aperture and weather loss.

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⭕ Beam footprint Approximate beam diameter at the selected target distance.

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⏱️ Signal time one-way One-way light travel time for the selected distance.

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What changed?

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⏱️ Transfer time

time ≈ data volume ÷ data rate

Payload is converted from GB to megabits. A simple range adjustment and optional optical weather loss are applied.

📡 One-way light time

light time = distance ÷ speed of light

The speed of light is treated as 299,792.458 km/s.

⭕ Beam footprint

footprint diameter ≈ distance × beam spread

Beam spread is treated as a full-angle value in microradians. Very large footprints are physically possible at planetary/probe distances, but they spread the signal over a huge area and can become extreme or impractical.

🎯 Preset distances

preset = fixed teaching distance, not live position

Moon uses average distance. Mars and Jupiter use near-approach distances; Voyager is an approximate changing distance.