NASA sent UHD footage from deep space to Earth using new laser communication technology. The Psyche spacecraft, 19 million kilometers from Earth, hosted the demonstration. This is the first laser-delivered UHD video from a long distance.
NASA’s Laser Triumph: Cat’s Playful Chase Beamed 19 Million Miles from Deep Space
Taters, an orange cat, excitedly chased a laser dot in the historic video for 15 seconds. In 101 seconds, the December 11 signal reached Earth, 80 times farther than the moon. The video was uploaded before Psyche’s premiere.
A 267-Mbps flight laser transmitter on the Psyche spacecraft relayed the data back to Earth. Despite the distance, this transmission speed was faster than many broadband internet connections.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab receiver electronics lead Ryan Rogalin praised the laser communication system’s efficiency. The video was sent to JPL via the internet from Palomar, but the internet connection was slower than the deep space signal.
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Psyche Mission’s Journey to a Metal-Rich Asteroid
A metal-rich asteroid in the major asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is the destination of the October-launched Psyche probe. This project seeks to better understand these planets and the solar system.
NASA’s transmission of a funny cat video from a long way away shows the power of laser communication. This achievement shows advancements in space communication and the capacity to send high-speed data in deep space. Future space missions will benefit from laser communication’s faster and more efficient data transmission over large distances.
READ ALSO: NASA beamed a video of a cat named Taters from deep space to Earth