NASA's DSOC experiment has successfully fired a communication laser 10 million miles for the first time.
The DSOC experiment aims to send high-bandwidth test data to Earth during its two-year technology demonstration as Psyche travels to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The test data was transmitted from the Psyche spacecraft to the Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory.
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment has achieved a significant milestone by successfully firing a communication laser 10 million miles for the first time. The test data was transmitted from the Psyche spacecraft to the Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California.
The DSOC experiment is part of NASA's efforts to revolutionize how spaceships communicate. It aims to send high-bandwidth test data to Earth during its two-year technology demonstration as Psyche travels to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This achievement marks a significant step in NASA's efforts to speed up communications in deep space.
It's important to note that the technology demonstration is not transmitting Psyche mission data. However, the DSOC team works closely with the Psyche mission-support team to ensure DSOC operations don't interfere with those of the spacecraft. The DSOC team will now focus on refining the systems that control the pointing of the downlink laser aboard the transceiver.
While this achievement is a significant step forward, it's also important to note that the technology is still in its experimental phase. The DSOC team will continue to refine and test the system to ensure its reliability and effectiveness in deep space communication.
The test data was sent from the Pysche spacecraft to the Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California.
The DSOC experiment aims to transform how spaceships communicate by sending high-bandwidth test data to Earth during its two-year technology demonstration as Psyche travels to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The technology demonstration is not transmitting Psyche mission data but works closely with the Psyche mission-support team to ensure DSOC operations don't interfere with those of the spacecraft.
The DSOC team will now work on refining the systems that control the pointing of the downlink laser aboard the transceiver.