How a satellite in space could communicate by laser with other orbiting satellites is illustrated in this concept by Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. Laser beams are directed from dish-like arrays, lower L & R, and upper L. Other dish arrays are fore various modes of communication, including microwave radio. Lasers can handle tremendous amounts of information over a single beam. A Lockheed laser system can transmit 70 television channels at once. Or it can transmit digital data at one billion bits (1 gigabit) per second--the equivalent of transmitting all 23 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica in 2 seconds.

United Press International · [ca. July 1971]

[Information from item housing] Lasers