NASA’s Psyche mission recently achieved a significant milestone by successfully carrying out the most distant demonstration of laser communications. The experiment, known as the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration (DSOC), could revolutionize the way NASA missions probe deeper into space and uncover more discoveries about the origin of the universe.
Launched in mid-October, the Psyche spacecraft is en route to a metal asteroid located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where it is expected to arrive in 2029. The DSOC experiment, which is carried out during the first two years of the journey, is designed to test the sending and receiving of data to and from Earth using an invisible near-infrared laser.
The tech demo recently achieved “first light,” successfully sending and receiving its first data from nearly 10 million miles away – about 40 times farther than the moon is from Earth. The successful test paves the way for higher data rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of future missions, such as sending humans to Mars.
While the DSOC mission marks the first time laser communications have been sent across deep space, it’s not the first time laser communications have been tested in space. Previous experiments have sent optical communications from low-Earth orbit and to the moon. However, sending laser communications across deep space requires incredibly precise aim and pointing over millions of miles.
Moving forward, the DSOC team will continue to refine the system and monitor the time it takes for the laser messages to travel across space, while the Psyche spacecraft prepares for its primary mission of exploring the metal asteroid.
The success of the DSOC experiment opens up new possibilities for future NASA missions and could change the way data is sent and received from deep space. As NASA continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, innovative technologies such as laser communications will continue to play a critical role in advancing scientific discoveries and enabling human exploration of deep space.