Subj : Space lasers could beam information to Earth by the end of the ye
To   : All
From : PopularScience-Space
Date : Sat Sep 23 2023 00:38:15

Space lasers could beam information to Earth by the end of the year

Date:
Thu, 31 Aug 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Lasers can transmit far more information than their radio counterparts. 
NASA/Dave Ryan 'We are integrating this technology on demonstrations near 
Earth, at the Moon, and in deep space,' says a NASA representative. The post 
Space lasers could beam information to Earth by the end of the year appeared 
first on Popular Science .

FULL STORY
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Lasers can transmit far more information than their radio counterparts. 
NASA/Dave Ryan 

By years end, NASA will begin testing a fridge-sized laser communications 
upgrade aboard the International Space Station . Its a major relay system 
demonstration for the ISS, and one which could chart a path forward for how 
humans communicate not just in low-orbit, but on the lunar surface and 
beyond. 

Although radio has long served as both piloted and unpiloted missions primary 
communications method, as Space.com notes, laser communication arrays boast a 
number of benefits. From a purely logistical standpoint, the equipment is 
both cheaper and lighter-weight than radio devices. Meanwhile, lasers shorter 
wavelengths ensure far more information can be transferred at one time 
compared to radio waves. 

Once launched aboard a forthcoming SpaceX commercial resupply services 
mission, NASAs Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier 
Terminal (ILLUMA-T) will work alongside the agencys Laser Communications 
Relay Demonstration (LCRD) launched in December 2021. ILLUMA-T will use 
infrared light to send and receive laser communications at a higher data rate 
than previously available. Once installed, these transmissions higher rates 
will allow for more videos and images to transmit back to Earth, all at 
around 1.2 gigabits-per-secondcomparable to a solid internet connection here 
on Earth. 

 [Related: NASA is testing space lasers to shoot data back to Earth .] 

Laser communications offer missions more flexibility and an expedited way to 
get data back from space, said Badri Younes, former deputy associate 
administrator for NASAs Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. 
We are integrating this technology on demonstrations near Earth, at the Moon, 
and in deep space. 

After installation, ILLUMA-T will first beam data to-and-from the LCRD 
satellite hovering 22,000 miles above Earth in geosynchronous orbit. 
Meanwhile, the LCRD will transmit data back to Earth at two stations in 
California and Hawaiispots chosen for their comparatively low cloud cover, 
which often impedes laser transmissions. 

ILLUMA-T is not the first mission to test laser communications in space but 
brings NASA closer to operational infusion of the technology, NASA wrote in a 
recent statement, In 2022, a small CubeSat in low Earth orbit began testing 
laser communications as part of the TeraByte InfraRed Delivery System . 
Before that, the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration also transferred 
data to-and-from lunar orbit during 2014s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust 
Environment Explorer mission. Still, NASA explains that all of these tests 
combined will further help advance aerospace communications between Earth, 
the moon, Mars, and beyond. 

The post Space lasers could beam information to Earth by the end of the year 
appeared first on Popular Science . Articles may contain affiliate links 
which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.



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Link to news story:
https://www.popsci.com/technology/iss-laser-communications/


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