Earth Detects Laser Signal from Deep Space 140 Million Miles Away

The asteroid named Psyche is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Psyche, a robotic explorer, was equipped with the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system to test laser communications. The DSOC aims to enable laser communication across vast distances in space, providing faster connections than current methods.

Although primarily using radio frequency communication, the optical communications technology demonstrated its capability by successfully transmitting engineering data from over 140 million miles away. The laser communications demo established a connection with Psyche’s radio frequency transmitter, allowing for the transmission of information and engineering data from the spacecraft back to Earth. Meera Srinivasan, the project’s operations lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, reported that approximately 10 minutes of duplicated spacecraft data was downlinked during a pass on April 8.

The duplicated data was transmitted via laser communications, while the original Psyche data was sent to ground control using standard radio-frequency communications channels on NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN). The objective of the optical communications demonstration was to determine if laser communications could perform as effectively, if not better, than traditional methods. The demonstration has proven that it can transmit test data at a maximum rate of 267 Mbps, similar to broadband internet speeds.

During a test on April 8, the spacecraft successfully transmitted test data at a maximum rate of 25 Mbps, surpassing the project’s goal of achieving at least 1 Mbps at that distance. As Psyche continues its journey towards the Psyche 16 asteroid, it remains stable and healthy.