NASA’s Psyche spacecraft recently made history by sending a laser transmission from a remarkable distance of 140 million miles away, setting a new milestone in space communication. The transmission, conducted using the spacecraft’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) feature, demonstrated the potential for high-bandwidth and faster connections in space travel.
This groundbreaking achievement included sending actual data gathered by the spacecraft, highlighting the ability to transmit valuable information across interstellar distances. The successful transmission, part of a series of messages sent by the probe since its launch on October 13th, 2021, took just over a minute and a half to reach Earth from 140 million miles away, a speed comparable to broadband internet.
Despite the long distance and reduced speed of the transmission, the project surpassed its goal of proving that at least 1 Mbps was possible at that distance. This accomplishment provides valuable insight into how spacecraft like Psyche could utilize optical communications to support future missions, including potentially sending humans to Mars.
Psyche is scheduled to fly by Mars in 2026 before ultimately reaching its main destination, the 16 Psyche asteroid, by 2029. This asteroid is believed to contain a significant amount of precious metals, making it a key target for future exploration and potential resource extraction. The success of the recent transmission from such a vast distance paves the way for exciting possibilities in the future of space exploration and communication technology.
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