The Square Kilometre Array telescope project in Western Australia and missions to the moon and Mars are stretching the limits of the communications technologies we’ve used over recent decades. Increasing amounts of data are being generated and it needs to be moved, combined and stored. Research physicist David Gozzard at the University of Western Australia has been developing new technology capable of handling the increased volumes of data. Current technologies use radio frequencies. The new technology uses lasers to carry the data and will be used in the Square Kilometre Array project where data from thousands of telescope dishes needs to be combined and in space missions allowing the transmission of high-definition video.

Guest
David Gozzard
Research Fellow – Experimental Physicist
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
The University of Western Australia
Perth WA

Presenter
Robyn Williams

Producer
David Fisher