“NASA’s Psyche mission achieves distant laser communication milestone.”
An experiment aboard NASA’s Psyche mission achieved a distant laser communication milestone. The Psyche spacecraft, en route to a metal asteroid, carries the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) tech demo. DSOC recently transmitted data over a near-infrared laser, reaching Earth from 10 million miles away. Achieving “first light” marked a significant milestone for DSOC’s potential for high-bandwidth communication in deep space.
The successful transmission aimed to test future Mars exploration communication possibilities. Directed by Trudy Kortes, the director of technology demonstrations at NASA, this achievement signifies progress toward sending humans to Mars. The recent feat occurred when Psyche’s transceiver received a laser beacon from NASA’s Table Mountain Facility and transmitted data to the Hale Telescope.
While laser communications have been tested in space previously, DSOC marks the first deep space transmission, a pivotal step requiring precise aiming over millions of miles. DSOC’s initial test focuses on improving laser pointing accuracy before transmitting scientific data. This optical communication method, utilizing photon-encoded data, could revolutionize data transfer across deep space missions, providing more opportunities for scientific discoveries.
As Psyche continues its journey, challenges persist, including monitoring laser travel time and preparing for its mission to study the asteroid’s core. The mission’s success in 2029 could unveil insights into the early solar system’s formation.
