Tech @programming.dev Mac @programming.dev 6 mo. ago

NASA uses laser link to beam data 140 million miles across space at 25 Mbps

www.techspot.com NASA uses laser link to beam data 140 million miles across space at 25 Mbps

NASA has confirmed a significant milestone for its Psyche spacecraft's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment. This technology demonstration aims to test laser-based data links beyond the...

21 comments

This has been one of the quieter technologies NASA has been working on for years now, but it’s really exciting to see how well it’s working! The potential benefits it offers could be game changing!
Send a team to install a pair on the voyager probes!
- A Comcast technician can be at the probes to install service in the 24th century between 12pm and 5pm. Someone 18 and older will need to be present during the install. Would you like to confirm this appointment?
  
  Permanently Deleted
- We might be able to use the same laser to also push the team out there for installation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_propulsion
I looked it up, Mars is 140million miles away.. pings would suck though
- Relevant xkcd
I'm not really understanding how they verified the information made it that far.
- I'm assuming it was a two-way test. Beam some data to the spacecraft, then have the spacecraft beam the data back to Earth.
  
  What spacecraft?
Damn, 753 light seconds away (about 12.5 light minutes if my math is correct). 25 mbps is pretty good at that distance. Awesome feat of engineering.
- And hitting a moving object in space at that distance for 12 minutes is impressive too! You have to know where the object will be 12 minutes ahead of time all the way. That's science right there.
  
  Anti Commercial-AI license
Great, now we’ll never get that data back
Yeah but think about that lag.
- Just always peek. Build for movement speed.

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