NASA ’s observational optical maser communication system , ride along with the Psyche spacecraft , has hit another milestone . The system was recently used to carry Psyche data from over 140 million miles ( 226 million km ) away .
The scheme , called Deep Space Optical Communications , or DSOC , has previously been used tosend mental testing dataand even tosend a video of a big cat , to try whether using optical maser communications in improver to the common radio communications is potential . But as this is technology is experimental , the Psyche spacecraft has its own radio communications system it has been using totransmit its scientific discipline information . Now , though , DSOC has been capable to interface with the Psyche organisation and direct Psyche engineering datum back to Earth as well .
“ We downlinked about 10 instant of duplicated spacecraft data point during a pass on April 8 , ” pronounce Meera Srinivasan , the project ’s operations lead at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , in astatement . “ Until then , we ’d been sending test and diagnostic information in our downlinks from Psyche . This represents a significant milepost for the project by showing how optic communicating can interface with a spacecraft ’s radio frequency comms organization . ”
The data is parallel in that it is sent using both the laser and radio receiver communications system , so that if there is an effect with the new optical maser system then worthful information wo n’t be mislay . But the tryout earlier this month was a success , with DSOC able-bodied to transfer the datum at an even higher pace than expected . As the spacecraft travels farther from Earth , the charge per unit at which it can transmit data is reduce , so though the system could handle near - broadband speeds of 275 Mbps while near Earth , now it is so far away that the project hop to demonstrate that just 1 Mbps was potential . In fact , the recent test showed an average rate of 25 Mbps .
It was also potential for both the radio and laser communication system on Psyche to operate at the same time , with radio information being passed to NASA ’s Deep Space internet and the optical maser data being received at the Hale Telescope at Caltech ’s Palomar Observatory .
The possible advantage of optical maser communications organization is that they can carry 10 to 100 time more data than radio systems . As more space missions are launched with more and more sophisticated science instruments collecting large volumes of data , more bandwidth is needed to ship this datum back to Earth . The Bob Hope is that future space missions may be capable to use laser system of rules for more efficient communicating , with receiving antenna being upgrade toreceive both radio and laser signals .
