Hi, I noticed that there wasn't a sub for the field of free-space optical communication, a.k.a lasercom and several Redditors suggested this as one of the places it might appeal to. Would anyone be interested in subscribing to /r/lasercom?
Bit of background: Lasercom involves transmitting highly focussed signals, usually in the infrared or near infrared spectrum, across thousands of kilometers, improving space-based communication and delivering the internet to remote locations. SpaceX being a more prominent example, but the technology been demonstrated on various space and interplanetary missions and has been developing for the past few decades (with the first successful demonstration by Japan in 1994).
Lasercom is a big growth area of engineering right now, offering faster, smaller, more secure communications than currently provided by either fibre or radio. It's going to dominate the satellite market - that's a certainty. All the big space/telecoms players have their toe in it. Within the next 5 years there will be multiple constellations being built each with hundreds of satellites with inter-satellite optical links. I suspect it will make X-band satellite comms obsolete in some applications, and will play a significant role in the way the internet develops during the 21st century - Particularly as the networks of near-Earth satellite constellations continue to grow.
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