WELLINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and Australian researchers have been collaborating on projects transmitting large volumes of data between Earth and space, addressing a critical need in modern space exploration and communication, as well as innovative space traffic management.

The newly funded space research projects will foster innovation in space communication and the responsible use of space, according to the University of Auckland on Thursday.

A system for managing an international network of optical ground stations to help transmit large volumes of data between Earth and space, has been developed by researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of South Australia.

While ground-based networks use optical fiber, transmitting data between Earth and space faces challenges due to atmospheric interference such as cloud cover, which can block the signal, according to the researchers.

The study will produce a report on the operational and governance requirements for running such an international network of interconnected ground stations spread out across different locations.

In another development, the University of Auckland collaborates with Curtin University and Nova Systems, which operate a 24/7 Space Situational Awareness facility in South Australia, to support the development of the SatPing initiative, seeking to enhance the responsible use of space by improving space traffic management, which has become challenging due to an increasing number of spacecraft and space debris.

The SatPing initiative plans to use small tracking beacons on objects in orbit, which will send radio signals to Earth, allowing precise tracking of their location, according to researchers. Enditem

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