Chapter 1005 Network Coding Technology


    The idea put forward by Chang Haonan is not difficult to understand.


    Even now, some countries have actually begun to demonstrate the feasibility of this type of satellite gazing technology internally.


    ?Of course, it is not a simple matter for the device to continuously adjust the angle while maintaining the image quality.


    But compared with large-load satellites, heavy-lift rockets carry these things that require strong comprehensive national strength to support them. A single movable equipment platform is not enough for most countries with limited size but certain high-precision technologies on hand. Something you can achieve if you work hard.


    To put it bluntly, the basic principles of this thing and the multi-degree-of-freedom gimbal on the aiming pod are the same, and there are relatively few related front-end technologies.


    For China, whose current external environment is relatively good, it can also take the path of introduction-digestion and absorption.


    There are no completely insurmountable technical barriers.


    “In this case...it can indeed extend the effective monitoring time of each satellite on key areas.”


    Without the need for Chang Haonan to explain too much, Luan Wenjie quickly figured out the joints:


    "But the key point of military reconnaissance is timeliness. If a warship sails at full speed, it can travel about 100 kilometers away in an hour and a half, so it is definitely not enough to take effective pictures. It must also ensure that the things taken can be transmitted back in real time. OK..."


    "If the satellite is photographing the western Pacific Ocean over our country, that''s okay, but if the satellite itself is in the eastern Pacific Ocean, or even south of the equator... Even if the reconnaissance data can be obtained, it will have to wait for almost ten hours before the data can be re-entered. Transfer window…”


    Everybody who had just become excited suddenly calmed down again.


    ?However, Chang Haonan''s mentality was very stable, and he just sighed slightly:


    “There is no way. Satellite surveillance is something that only superpowers can do well. Even if some efficiency can be improved through some tricks, core technologies such as inter-satellite links cannot be circumvented..."


    …”


    In any case, it was an unexpected surprise to be able to capture the location of Kitty Hawk today.


    As for the 24-hour surveillance of the sea areas surrounding China, it was entirely due to Chen Dazhi’s temporary expansion of mentality.


    So, after some ups and downs in mentality, everyone finally entered the celebration that was prepared before but was postponed to the present due to the interlude.


    ?Only Zhang Weiyong followed quietly at the back of the crowd, lowering his head as if thinking about something.


    “Mr. Zhang?”


    After chatting with Chen DaZhi and other acquaintances, Chang Haonan quickly noticed the slightly lonely figure behind him.


    It took three calls before the other party finally responded:


    “Oh…Mr. Chang”


    Zhang Weiyong showed a somewhat embarrassed smile:


    “I’m sorry, I was thinking about something just now, so I lost my voice and didn’t hear you.”


    “Still considering the issue of ocean surveillance system?”


    ?Chang Haonan himself has actually been thinking about this matter, but he has become accustomed to multitasking, so outwardly everything appears to be business as usual.


    “Ah...that’s right.”


    Zhang Weiyong nodded:


    “Or strictly speaking, I’m thinking about what you mentioned last about satellite relay communications.”


    "Based on our current launch capabilities, it is indeed difficult to launch a large-scale reconnaissance satellite like a keyhole into geosynchronous orbit, but if it is just a communication relay satellite, only 3-4 satellites are needed. , it can meet the communication requirements between low-orbit satellites and between low-orbit satellites and the ground.”


    "If such a relay constellation can be built, then in many aspects we can no longer pursue a single all-powerful satellite, but split different functions into a large number of low-cost small satellites, which is more in line with our current carrying capacity. level…"


    …”


    After hearing the other party’s explanation, Chang Haonan couldn’t help but admire in his heart——


    This idea of ??“exchanging quantity for quality” is considered a quite advanced concept even after more than ten years.


    ?Although the most famous thing under this guiding ideology in the future may be Starlink, in fact, China had already introduced the same idea in the field of remote sensing satellites long before the 2014 SpaceX.


    The product to be released is the "Jilin-1" optical remote sensing satellite constellation. It is ultimately planned to deploy more than 300 satellites to achieve the goal of revisiting any point in the world with a revisit period of less than 30 minutes.


    Almost close to real-time reconnaissance.


    Zhang Weiyong’s ideas are even wilder.


    We must not only pursue efficiency at the information acquisition level, but also pursue efficiency at the information transmission level.


    For example, a satellite acquires a valid image information on the other side of the earth.


    ? Then there is no need to store it and wait for the communication window that can be as short as 90 minutes or as long as a few hours. Instead, the information can be immediately transmitted back to the control center on the ground through 2-3 relay communications.


    Completely reduce the timeliness of satellite reconnaissance to near the theoretical limit (that is, the revisit cycle). “Communication relay star…”


    Chang Haonan lowered his head and thought for a moment:


    “I remember that in the 921 Project, in order to solve the problem of insufficient coverage of measurement and control stations and measurement ships in our country, there seems to be a research and development plan for data relay satellites?”


    Hearing this question, Zhang Weiyong looked at Chang Haonan with a slightly shocked look:


    “I didn’t expect you even knew this, Mr. Chang?”


    "Well…"


    ?Chang Haonan touched his chin awkwardly.


    Of course he couldn’t say that he knew this twenty years later, so he could only explain it casually:


    “You know, I have a good relationship with the Science and Technology Commission. When I applied for the Shenzhou-2 payload space for a project, I read some information from Director Luan...”


    There is not a single punctuation mark in this sentence that is false, so Zhang Weiyong did not study it further:


    “Yes, there is indeed one.”


    He replied:


    “And the project was only established at the beginning of this year. The internal plan is called Tianlian No. 1.”


    “I was just wondering if I could use these satellites of the 921 project to verify my idea in detail.”


    ??For Chinese astronauts who started from scratch and have been frugal in the past few decades, it has almost become an instinct to make full use of existing resources and improve the cost-effectiveness of projects.


    But on the other hand, a high cost-effectiveness ratio means in most cases that the effect itself is actually mediocre—


    Because the effect of reducing the denominator is much more obvious than increasing the numerator.


    Chang Haonan frowned after hearing this:


    “Tianlian-1 is just to solve the problem of the space observation and control window period. The data bandwidth is quite average. I’m afraid it is not very good at meeting the image and voice information flow needs between low-orbit satellite groups...”


    “There is no way...Actually, I am also struggling with this matter now.”


    Zhang Weiyong sighed softly:


    “The geostationary orbit is too far from the low earth orbit, which physically limits the bandwidth and delay…”


    Chang Haonan opened his mind directly:


    “Have you considered allowing relay satellites to also operate in low orbit?”


    "ah?"


    ?This method is indeed a bit unconventional for Zhang Weiyong:


    “Not to mention how many satellites are needed... Even if the number is sufficient, there will be many data relay nodes in the communication network, and each node will cause signal attenuation and data transmission errors..."


    "It''s easy to say on the ground. Generally, the problem can be solved by repeatedly forwarding data. But if it is a satellite... it will bring a more serious burden to the network throughput and transmission efficiency... The final transmission effect may not have a small amount of synchronous orbit. Good luck with the satellite.”


    As he spoke, Zhang Weiyong looked at Chang Haonan with slightly doubtful eyes.


    At the end of the sentence, my voice became a little unconfident.


    In his opinion, the latter, as a big man who has made great achievements in many fields such as control and mathematics, seems not to make such a low-level mistake.


    Is there anything else that can be done here?


    The other party’s reaction was just as Zhang Weiyong expected:


    "If it is a general communication relay method, then there are indeed the problems you mentioned..."


    ?The group of people had actually entered the small canteen where the celebration was held. Chang Haonan did not forget to pick up a bottle of low-alcohol red wine from the side while he was talking, and poured a little for each of them.


    ?Zhang Weiyong took the wine glass, but before he could drink it, he heard the second half of Chang Haonan''s words:


    “But Mr. Zhang may have heard of a new technology that was only proposed last year, called network coding?”


    “A little impression.”


    He put aside the wine glass that had been brought to his lips:


    “But I remember it seems to be used on routing equipment?”


    “Yes, but essentially valid for any information transmission node.”


    Chang Haonan pulled Zhang Weiyong to sit next to him, and then took out the half-used piece of paper from his jacket pocket:


    “Simply put, it is to introduce generalized coding technology of different information at communication relay nodes, changing the original meaning of the transmission of special data in the network into the transmission of network data streams, which can greatly reduce the impact on network bandwidth when information is transmitted. The occupation can also increase the cost of deciphering information. "


    “Sounds... closer to a concept.”


    ?Zhang Weiyong was obviously interested in this, but he did not show any particular excitement right away:


    “Although I haven’t done any in-depth research, I think... the entire communication effect is probably highly related to the introduced generalized coding, right?”


    “Of course.”


    Chang Haonan picked up the cup and took a sip:


    “However, this happens to be the part I’m better at…”


    (End of this chapter)