Why NASA Is Turning to Lasers For Next-Gen Space Comms

Why NASA Is Turning to Lasers For Next-Gen Space Comms

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Space technology

Context: NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, successfully fired a laser signal at Earth

More about the news:

• NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, designed to explore the metal core of a 144-mile-long asteroid, is carrying a test for Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC).
• The DSOC experiment aims to demonstrate laser communication beyond the Moon, offering higher data rates than traditional radio waves.
• The technology could alleviate bandwidth limitations on the Deep Space Network, which faces increased demands from various space missions. 
• Laser communication in space, while not expected to replace radio waves entirely, could provide a new channel to enhance communication capabilities.
• The Psyche mission will test the DSOC during its journey to the asteroid.

What is NASA’s revolutionary new technology:

• NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment is at the forefront of advancing space communication by pioneering the use of near-infrared laser signals.
• Similar to how fiber optics transformed traditional telephone lines on Earth, DSOC is poised to deliver data rates at least 10 times higher than current state-of-the-art radio telecommunications systems of comparable size and power.
• This breakthrough technology, housed in the Psyche spacecraft, aims to enhance data transmission during its journey to the main asteroid belt, offering benefits such as higher resolution images, increased scientific data volumes, and the possibility of streaming video.
• The DSOC transceiver, a crucial component, achieved “first light” on November 14 by successfully locking onto a powerful uplink laser beacon transmitted from NASA’s Table Mountain Facility near Wrightwood, California. 
• Overcoming the challenges associated with higher bandwidths, DSOC relies on “extremely precise pointing.”
• Achieving this precision involves isolating the transceiver from the spacecraft’s vibrations and compensating for the constantly changing positions of Earth and the spacecraft.
• The analogy provided by NASA illustrates the precision required as “hitting a dime from a mile away while the dime is moving,” emphasizing the need for accuracy in targeting.
• Furthermore, the vast distance between the spacecraft and Earth necessitates the use of novel signal-processing techniques to extract information from the weak laser signals transmitted through space.

What is NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft:

• Psyche, a space mission under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , was launched in 2023 with the goal of exploring the origin of planetary cores.
• It aims to achieve this by orbiting and studying the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche, commencing its observations in 2029.
• Positioned between Mars and Jupiter, 16 Psyche is recognized as the heaviest M-type asteroid, characterized by elevated concentrations of metal phases such as iron-nickel.
• Scientists speculate that it could be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet or the aftermath of a collision that stripped away its mantle and crust.
• To propel and maneuver in orbit, Psyche utilizes solar-powered hall effect thrusters, marking the first instance of an interplanetary spacecraft employing this technology.
• Furthermore, it stands as the pioneering mission to employ laser optical communications beyond the Earth-Moon system.
• Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the spacecraft is scheduled to orbit 16 Psyche from August 2029 until late 2031. Although it won’t land on the asteroid, the mission holds the potential to provide distinctive insights into Earth’s impenetrable iron core.