5 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"NASA\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1-dsoc-uplink.png?w=1881\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft is depicted receiving a laser signal from the Deep Space Optical Communications uplink ground station at JPL\u2019s Table Mountain Facility in this artist\u2019s concept. The DSOC experiment consists of an uplink and downlink station, plus a flight laser transceiver flying with Psyche.<\/div>\nNASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars\u2019 farthest distance from Earth.<\/em><\/p>\nNASA\u2019s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration broke yet another record for laser communications this summer by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles (460 million kilometers) away. That\u2019s the same distance between our planet and Mars when the two planets are farthest apart.<\/p>\n
Soon after reaching that milestone on July 29, the technology demonstration<\/a> concluded the first phase of its operations since launching<\/a> aboard Psyche<\/a> on Oct. 13, 2023.<\/p>\n\u201cThe milestone is significant. Laser communication requires a very high level of precision, and before we launched with Psyche, we didn\u2019t know how much performance degradation we would see at our farthest distances,\u201d said Meera Srinivasan, the project\u2019s operations lead at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. \u201cNow the techniques we use to track and point have been verified, confirming that optical communications can be a robust and transformative way to explore the solar system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Managed by JPL, the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment consists of a flight laser transceiver<\/a> and two ground stations. Caltech\u2019s historic 200-inch (5-meter) aperture Hale Telescope at Caltech\u2019s Palomar Observatory<\/a> in San Diego County, California, acts as the downlink station to which the laser transceiver sends its data from deep space. The Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory<\/a> at JPL\u2019s Table Mountain facility near Wrightwood, California, acts as the uplink station, capable of transmitting 7 kilowatts of laser power to send data to the transceiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/e1-psyche-earth-distance-eyes.png?w=1624\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThis visualization shows Psyche\u2019s position on July 29 when the uplink station for NASA\u2019s Deep Space Optical Communications sent a laser signal about 290 million miles to the spacecraft. See an interactive version of the Psyche spacecraft in NASA\u2019s Eyes on the Solar System.<\/div>\nNASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBy transporting data at rates up to 100 times higher than radio frequencies, lasers can enable the transmission of complex scientific information as well as high-definition imagery and video, which are needed to support humanity\u2019s next giant leap when astronauts travel to Mars<\/a> and beyond.<\/p>\nAs for the spacecraft, Psyche remains healthy and stable, using ion propulsion<\/a> to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.<\/p>\nExceeding Goals<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\nThe technology demonstration\u2019s data is sent to and from Psyche as bits encoded in near-infrared light, which has a higher frequency than radio waves. That higher frequency enables more data to be packed into a transmission, allowing far higher rates of data transfer.<\/p>\n
Even when Psyche was about 33 million miles (53 million kilometers) away \u2014 comparable to Mars\u2019 closest approach to Earth \u2014 the technology demonstration could transmit data at the system\u2019s maximum rate<\/a> of 267 megabits per second. That bit rate is similar to broadband internet download speeds. As the spacecraft travels farther away<\/a>, the rate at which it can send and receive data is reduced, as expected.<\/p>\nOn June 24, when Psyche was about 240 million miles (390 million kilometers) from Earth \u2014 more than 2\u00bd times the distance between our planet and the Sun \u2014 the project achieved a sustained downlink data rate of 6.25 megabits per second, with a maximum rate of 8.3 megabits per second. While this rate is significantly lower than the experiment\u2019s maximum, it is far higher than what a radio frequency communications system using comparable power can achieve over that distance.<\/p>\n
This Is a Test<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe goal of Deep Space Optical Communications is to demonstrate technology that can reliably transmit data at higher speeds than other space communication technologies like radio frequency systems. In seeking to achieve this goal, the project had an opportunity to test unique data sets like art and high-definition video along with engineering data<\/a> from the Psyche spacecraft. For example, one downlink included digital versions of Arizona State University\u2019s \u201cPsyche Inspired<\/a>\u201d artwork, images of the team\u2019s pets, and a 45-second ultra-high-definition video that spoofs television test patterns from the previous century and depicts scenes from Earth and space.<\/p>\n\n
![\"NASA\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1-dsoc-uplink.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars\u2019 farthest distance from Earth.<\/em><\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration broke yet another record for laser communications this summer by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles (460 million kilometers) away. That\u2019s the same distance between our planet and Mars when the two planets are farthest apart.<\/p>\n Soon after reaching that milestone on July 29, the technology demonstration<\/a> concluded the first phase of its operations since launching<\/a> aboard Psyche<\/a> on Oct. 13, 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThe milestone is significant. Laser communication requires a very high level of precision, and before we launched with Psyche, we didn\u2019t know how much performance degradation we would see at our farthest distances,\u201d said Meera Srinivasan, the project\u2019s operations lead at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. \u201cNow the techniques we use to track and point have been verified, confirming that optical communications can be a robust and transformative way to explore the solar system.\u201d<\/p>\n Managed by JPL, the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment consists of a flight laser transceiver<\/a> and two ground stations. Caltech\u2019s historic 200-inch (5-meter) aperture Hale Telescope at Caltech\u2019s Palomar Observatory<\/a> in San Diego County, California, acts as the downlink station to which the laser transceiver sends its data from deep space. The Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory<\/a> at JPL\u2019s Table Mountain facility near Wrightwood, California, acts as the uplink station, capable of transmitting 7 kilowatts of laser power to send data to the transceiver.<\/p>\n By transporting data at rates up to 100 times higher than radio frequencies, lasers can enable the transmission of complex scientific information as well as high-definition imagery and video, which are needed to support humanity\u2019s next giant leap when astronauts travel to Mars<\/a> and beyond.<\/p>\n As for the spacecraft, Psyche remains healthy and stable, using ion propulsion<\/a> to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.<\/p>\n The technology demonstration\u2019s data is sent to and from Psyche as bits encoded in near-infrared light, which has a higher frequency than radio waves. That higher frequency enables more data to be packed into a transmission, allowing far higher rates of data transfer.<\/p>\n Even when Psyche was about 33 million miles (53 million kilometers) away \u2014 comparable to Mars\u2019 closest approach to Earth \u2014 the technology demonstration could transmit data at the system\u2019s maximum rate<\/a> of 267 megabits per second. That bit rate is similar to broadband internet download speeds. As the spacecraft travels farther away<\/a>, the rate at which it can send and receive data is reduced, as expected.<\/p>\n On June 24, when Psyche was about 240 million miles (390 million kilometers) from Earth \u2014 more than 2\u00bd times the distance between our planet and the Sun \u2014 the project achieved a sustained downlink data rate of 6.25 megabits per second, with a maximum rate of 8.3 megabits per second. While this rate is significantly lower than the experiment\u2019s maximum, it is far higher than what a radio frequency communications system using comparable power can achieve over that distance.<\/p>\n The goal of Deep Space Optical Communications is to demonstrate technology that can reliably transmit data at higher speeds than other space communication technologies like radio frequency systems. In seeking to achieve this goal, the project had an opportunity to test unique data sets like art and high-definition video along with engineering data<\/a> from the Psyche spacecraft. For example, one downlink included digital versions of Arizona State University\u2019s \u201cPsyche Inspired<\/a>\u201d artwork, images of the team\u2019s pets, and a 45-second ultra-high-definition video that spoofs television test patterns from the previous century and depicts scenes from Earth and space.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure>Exceeding Goals<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
This Is a Test<\/strong><\/h3>\n