China has announced the successful deployment of a laser communications ground system on the Pamir Plateau in western China's Xinjiang, and is expected to significantly enhance the country's ability to transmit big data via satellite. Chinese News Agency (Xinhua) reported that the system was developed by the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and features a 500 mm antenna, marking the end of reliance on ground microwave stations to receive satellite data. Source: Qatar News Agency