Skip to main content

NASA laser communications test riding with Psyche sends back its first data

An experimental test of laser communications riding along with the Psyche mission has sent back its first data, in a demonstration of the use of laser communications for deep space missions. The Deep Space Optical Communications, or DSOC experiment, is attached to the Psyche spacecraft, which is currently heading toward an asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter following its launch last month.

Communications for NASA deep space missions are handled by the Deep Space Network, a network of antennae at three sites around the world that primarily use radio. But laser communications could offer 10 to 100 times as much bandwidth, so NASA wants to experiment with using this technology in situations like transferring science data.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022. DSOC’s gold-capped flight laser transceiver can be seen, near center, attached to the spacecraft.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022. DSOC’s gold-capped flight laser transceiver can be seen attached to the spacecraft. NASA/Ben Smegelsky

DSOC transmitted test data from nearly 10 million miles away on November 14, sending it via laser to the California Institute of Technology’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. This transmission is referred to as the mission’s “first light.”

Recommended Videos

“Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity’s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars,” said Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations at NASA, in a statement.

The test is more difficult than using radio waves for communication, because radio waves spread out over a large area as they travel, making them easier to pick up. With laser communications, there is a narrow beam so the spacecraft and ground facilities have to be carefully aligned.

“[The test was the first to fully incorporate the ground assets and flight transceiver, requiring the DSOC and Psyche operations teams to work in tandem,” said Meera Srinivasan, operations lead for DSOC at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “It was a formidable challenge, and we have a lot more work to do, but for a short time, we were able to transmit, receive, and decode some data.”

The DSOC experiment will continue for another two years, primarily using test data, but potentially sending back data from the Psyche spacecraft as well (Psyche is also equipped with traditional radio communications, so this would be purely a test of the functionality). If the system proves reliable, laser communications could help missions send large amounts of science data back to Earth in the future.

“Optical communication is a boon for scientists and researchers who always want more from their space missions, and will enable human exploration of deep space,” said Dr. Jason Mitchell, director of the Advanced Communications and Navigation Technologies Division within NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. “More data means more discoveries.”

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Venus gets a taste of Missy Elliot in NASA communications test
This illustration of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus’ southern hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet’s interior.

This illustration of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus’ southern hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet’s interior. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Peter Rubin

In space, they say, no one can hear your scream -- but at certain points in our solar system, you might be able to pick up some Missy Elliot. NASA has recently made special use of its communication system, called the Deep Space Network, by sending the lyrics of Missy Elliot's song The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) to Venus.

Read more
Boeing and NASA in no rush to bring Starliner astronauts back from space station
NASA’s Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams giving an interview on board the International Space Station on Wednesday July 10.

NASA’s Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams givie an interview on board the International Space Station on Wednesday, July 10. NASA TV

Two NASA astronauts will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least several more weeks, as testing continues on the troubled Boeing Starliner that carried them to the station on its first crewed test flight. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safe on the station and, NASA insists, not stranded, but they will not yet be returning home due to thruster issues with their spacecraft.

Read more
NASA astronauts send a Fourth of July message from space
NASA astronauts on the ISS send a Fourth of July message.

NASA astronauts on the International Space Station sent a Fourth of July video message. NASA

Plenty of people who are away from home or traveling far from their loved ones will be sending messages today -- but here's one message that comes from a very distant outpost. The NASA astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), zipping around the Earth in low-Earth orbit approximately 250 miles above the planet's surface have sent a Fourth of July message to those down on the ground:

Read more