The first laser-streamed video from outer space was made by NASA in a week of space exploration advances.
Space Milestones: Laser-Streamed Cat Video Marks NASA’s Communication Triumph
The video of Taters, a cat, pursuing a laser pointer was delivered from approximately 19 million miles distant, demonstrating the possibilities for long-distance data streaming. NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment supports high-resolution science instruments and will aid the Mars mission. In 101 seconds, the video signal reached Earth, faster than most broadband internet connections.
The video’s Taters, inspired by Felix the Cat, made this space communication milestone fun. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the Psyche spacecraft demonstration sought to transfer data 10 to 100 times faster than deep-space radio frequency technologies.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris stated that NASA’s Artemis program would feature an international astronaut landing on the moon before the end of the decade. This news changed the initial plan to carry multinational astronauts around the moon. The Artemis initiative seeks to build a permanent human presence on the moon, and the new collaboration emphasizes multilateral space exploration.
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Latest Developments Propel Humanity Closer to Multi-Planetary Exploration
Private landers from Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines will make back-to-back moon landings in early 2024 as part of NASA’s CLPS effort. NASA’s robotic lunar exploration partnership with commercial firms is seen here. Artemis II, scheduled for November 2024, will be the first human moon orbit since Apollo. The first crewed moon landing, Artemis III, is scheduled for 2025, assuming SpaceX’s lunar lander vehicle development.
SpaceX is preparing for the third flight test of its giant Starship rocket. Booster 10 was relocated to SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in South Texas after a successful static fire test. Integrated Flight Test 3 will evaluate Starship’s capabilities.
These advances in space travel push humanity closer to becoming a multi-planetary species and prepare for future space expeditions.
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