NASA Streams Video of Cat Named Taters from Deep Space
In a groundbreaking technological achievement, NASA has beamed the first-ever video from deep space using laser communication. The star of the video is none other than Taters, an orange tabby cat who was seen gleefully chasing a red laser light.
The 15-second ultra-high-definition video was transmitted by NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which is currently positioned 19 million miles away from Earth. The video, which was streamed on December 11, 2023, took less than two minutes to reach Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, traveling at a rate of 267 megabits per second.
The decision to feature Taters in the video was made by the mission team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The cat, owned by an employee of the laboratory, was chosen for his playful and entertaining nature.
The successful test of the laser communication system is an important step in NASA’s efforts to improve communications from deep space, particularly as plans for human missions to the moon and Mars continue to progress. The laser communication system has the potential to transmit data at rates up to 100 times greater than the radio systems currently used.
Despite the vast distance, the video was relayed faster than most broadband internet connections here on Earth, demonstrating the potential of the new technology.
While the video of Taters may have stolen the show, further test transmissions are planned as the Psyche spacecraft continues its journey towards the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, NASA has confirmed that Taters will not be making any more appearances in the upcoming transmissions.
Joby Harris, an art director at JPL’s DesignLab and Taters’ owner, expressed his pride in the cat’s newfound celebrity, but also emphasized the importance of remaining grounded even as Taters enjoys his newfound spotlight.
The successful transmission of the video of Taters marks a major milestone in the field of interstellar communication and sets the stage for more advancements in deep space communication technology.