UND installs $5M laser telescope system for space communication training

UND is stepping into the future with a project that gives students hands-on access to technology usually reserved for federal labs. A new telescope—installed atop Witmer Hall but never meant for stargazing—will let students send laser pulses to satellites, transmitting data faster and more efficiently than radio waves. The work ties directly into emerging needs in agriculture, weather forecasting, and national security, especially with the Space Development Agency growing its presence in Grand Forks. And if the science feels dense, faculty have a simpler pitch: space lasers are cool.

Cullen Holt

InForum

View Source