Laser communication-NASA will use lasers to beam back high-resolution video from the moon

In recent years, NASA has been using lasers to further develop ways of communicating between spacecraft. NASA is planning to beam high-resolution images and video from the moon back to Earth using lasers, it has been revealed.

In the past, NASA has relied primarily on radio signals to return scientific data from deep space to Earth through its space network. But now with the laser, NASA will be able to dramatically increase the amount of data from its spacecraft, and it's ready to apply the technology to the moon.

NASA recently incorporated laser communication into its Artemis 2 manned mission to orbit the moon. Aboard the Orion capsule, the communications system will send high-resolution images and video from the lunar region and transmit them to Earth. If all goes according to plan, systems on Earth will be able to see the moon in real time with unprecedented clarity.

With such a system, transmission speeds would leap from dial-up to gigabit fibre-optic in one fell swoop. Laser communication not only enables more and faster data transmission, but also improves information security and saves weight and power consumption of space vehicles.

To lay the groundwork for future laser communications, NASA has launched several demonstration satellites in recent years. In December 2021, NASA launched and tested the first two-way laser relay communications payload (LCRD). In May 2022, NASA launched the Terabyte Infrared Transfer (TBIRD) payload, which transmitted nearly a terabyte of data to Earth in about five minutes at a data transfer rate of 200 gigabits per second. And now, NASA is preparing an integrated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) modem and amplifier terminal (ILLUMA-T) for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. ILLUMA-T will be installed at the facility in the Japanese experiment module, and once operational, ILLUMA-T will relay data back to Earth using the LCRD payload in NASA's first end-to-end laser relay communications system.

These experiments will help build a more stable foundation for NASA's Artemis II manned mission to orbit the moon. Artemis II, the second part of the US 'Return to the Moon programme, is due to launch in 2024 and is expected to carry four astronauts around the moon before returning to Earth. Last month, NASA announced the crew for the lunar mission.

Source: OFweek