The Earth received a message sent by a laser from a distance of 16 million kilometers

a NASA A technology has recently been demonstrated that can help transmit messages over a distance 16 million kilometers, Equivalent to approx 40 times the distance between the Moon and Earth. This is the first time that optical communications have been transmitted over such a distance.

How was it possible to transmit data over a record distance of 16 million kilometers?

A space experiment traveling aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has just been broadcast for the first time A laser message to Earth from beyond the moonIt is an achievement that could change the way Spaceships Communicate with each other.

But what is DSOC? that it Technological expertise A period of two years was installed on the Psyche probe, which is Goal Take advantage of transmission Data between spacecraft and ground observation teams. The demonstration has arrived “first light” on November 14, when Psyche’s laser transceiver connected to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s powerful uplink laser beacon at Table Mountain Observatory.

So far, the technology demonstration has been very successful! The first test was to fully integrate Earth’s resources Transceiver flight, requiring joint work by the DSOC and Psyche operations teams. This was stated by DSOC Chief Operating Officer, Meera Srinivasan It has been a huge challenge and there is still a lot of work to be doneBut in a short time the team managed to do so To send, To receive that it Decode Some data.

Faster communication over greater distances in space

usually, Humans use radio waves to communicate with distant spacecraft. But higher frequencies of light, such as near infrared, have a greater bandwidth and Data speed is faster.

be able to Sending and receiving messages from the planets Close like Mars After establishing a colony, it will be… Basic priority to guarantee protection For humans and the continuous transfer of knowledge.

This technology could enable faster communication between Earth and distant objects in space.

“Achieving first light is one of many important milestones for DSOC in the coming months. This paves the way for higher data rate communicationsAble to send scientific information, High definition images And video streaming to support the next giant leap in communications: Sending humans to MarsTrudy Curtis said, Director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA“.

Previously, optical communications were already used to send messages from Earth’s orbit. But this is the furthest distance lasers have ever reachedThe photons move in the same direction and with the same wavelength. This advance in laser communications can transmit massive amounts of data at unprecedented speedsincluding data on the oscillations of these light waves.

With the transfer of a greater amount of data, future space missions It can receive scientific instruments with higher precision. Moreover, there is the advantage of faster communication over greater distances in space, Which would allow live broadcasting directly from MarsFor example.