NASA Conducts Tests of JPL’s Deep Space Optical Communications to Enhance Data Relay on Six-Year Asteroid Mission

NASA conducted several tests on JPL’s deep space optical communications to enhance asteroid data relay during the six-year mission.

Deep Space Optical Communications (Photo: Spaceflight Now)

NASA Launches Psyche Asteroid Mission with New Deep Space Optical Communications Technology

According to NASA, the Psyche asteroid mission, which is already on the voyage for a metal-rich planet that could tell us more about the formation of rocky planets, was launched last Friday. JPL’s Deep Space Optical Communications was integrated into the spacecraft.

JPL has integrated Deep Space Optical Communications into the spacecraft as a test for a new laser communication technology that could provide more bandwidth to transmit data than traditional radio frequency communications.

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Malcolm Wright Explains the Integration of Deep Space Optical Communications

According to Decrypt, the integration of deep space optical communications on the spacecraft is a form of a test or experiment to take optical communications past lunar distances to deep space as all the communications have been on microwaves or radio links.

Malcolm Wright further explained that deep space optical communications will be used instead of sending signals using radios and microwaves. Thus, deep space optical communications will be used to transmit the data to Earth without the rate being reduced.

The use of deep space optical communications will be revolutionizing as the data will be able to be sent on Earth.

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