The First Light… Earth receives a “Laser Message” from 16 million kilometers away
NASA has successfully received data in the farthest-ever demonstration of laser or optical communications, a significant step toward sending astronauts to Mars.
The Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) Infrared Laser (data-encrypted for testing) was launched about 10 million miles (16 million km) from Earth in approximately 50 seconds.
According to the American newspaper “New York Post,” photons were emitted from NASA‘s unmanned spacecraft, launched in October 2023 on a mission to explore a metal-filled comet between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt in 2028.
This breakthrough, sent to the Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory affiliated with the California Institute of Technology in San Diego, is the farthest optical communications link ever achieved, according to NASA.
The achievement, dubbed “The First Light,” was realized early on November 14th when the high-tech laser transmitter and receiver successfully communicated with another NASA facility in Goldstone, California.
After linking with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory outside Los Angeles, the laser was then able to precisely focus its path southward towards San Diego.
The successful laser burst is a beneficial step toward deep-space exploration, according to NASA‘s Technology Showcase Manager, Trudy Kortes.
The ultimate goal is to transmit data 100 times faster than the highly advanced radio frequency systems currently used in testing. Once achieved, NASA will not only assist human and robotic missions but also send high-precision tools into deep space for study.
