NASA’s DSOC experiment set a new record for optical communications by sending a near-infrared laser signal to a telescope in California from a staggering distance of nearly 16 million kilometers, 40 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The sent signals were also transmitted along with the test data. The Hale Telescope received the laser beam from the Palomar Observatory in San Diego, making it the most distant application of this technology yet.Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment
NASA’s DSOC, or “Deep Space Optical Communications” experiment, is part of the recently launched Psyche mission to explore the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The experiment aims to demonstrate data transmission speeds 10 to 100 times higher than the state-of-the-art radio frequency systems used by spacecraft today. Although both radio and near-infrared laser communications use electromagnetic waves to transmit data, near-infrared light packages data into much narrower waves, allowing ground stations to receive more data. This will aid future human- and robot-based exploration missions and enable higher resolution probes.
As Psyche travels through space, the experiment will send high-bandwidth test data to Earth during a two-year technology implementation. Ultimately, these will enable higher data rates capable of transmitting high-resolution images and streaming video. The experiment also sent test data via both uplink and downlink lasers; This process is known as “closing the connection,” which is the primary goal of the experiment. While the experiment does not transmit Psyche mission data, it works closely with the Psyche mission support team to ensure that DSOC operations do not interfere with the spacecraft.
Tested for the first time in deep space
On the other hand, optical communication is not a first for NASA and the scientific world. Although it has been used in low Earth orbit and for the Moon, this is the first time it has been tested in deep space with DSOC. Directing a laser beam millions of kilometers away is essentially like tracking a coin many kilometers away with a laser pointer, meaning extremely precise pointing is required.The application must also take into account the time it takes for light to travel very long distances from the spacecraft to Earth: At Psyche’s farthest distance from our planet, DSOC’s near-infrared photons will take about 20 minutes to return. In this test, this time was 50 seconds. Since both the spacecraft and the planet will have moved during this period, it is essential to precisely adjust the position of the lasers.
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