Earth Receives First Laser Message from 16 Million Kilometers Away in Deep Space
In a groundbreaking achievement, Earth has successfully received a laser-beamed communication from a distance of 16 million kilometers, or 10 million miles. This is a remarkable feat as it is 40 times farther than the distance between the Earth and the moon, making it the longest demonstration of optical communications to date, according to NASA.
The successful experiment was made possible by the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) tool, which was onboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. The spacecraft embarked on its journey from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 13 and has now sent a laser-beamed message back to Earth. On November 14, the Psyche spacecraft established communication with the Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California. During the test, DSOC’s near-infrared photons took about 50 seconds to travel from Psyche to Earth.
This achievement, known as “first light,” marks a significant milestone in the DSOC project. Trudy Kortes, the director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA Headquarters, stated, “Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity’s next giant leap.”
Abi Biswas, project technologist for DSOC at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, expressed excitement over receiving first light, stating, “The deep space laser photons from DSOC’s flight transceiver aboard Psyche were successfully detected by ground equipment. We could also convey data, implying that we may interchange ‘bits of light’ from and to deep space.”
The primary objective of the Psyche spacecraft is to explore and study the unique metallic asteroid Psyche, providing valuable insights into the history of planet formation and core dynamics. The experiment is scheduled to last two years, during which it will send and receive laser signals from increasingly distant locations as it makes its way to its final destination. The spacecraft is expected to reach the asteroid in 2029 and then enter into orbit.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson expressed enthusiasm for the mission, stating, “The Psyche mission could provide humanity with new information about planet formation while testing technology that can be used on future NASA missions. As Asteroid Autumn continues, so does NASA’s commitment to exploring the unknown and inspiring the world through discovery.”
This achievement not only opens up possibilities for aiding future human and robot missions but also enables the sending of higher-resolution instruments into deep space for further study.
