NASA Funds Fibertek Laser Communications Technology for Artemis Mission

Illustration of the Laser Optical Basestation Terminal aboard the Orion plane (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA – The United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is partnering with Fibertek Inc., a laser and electro-optics manufacturing company, in developing the latest laser technology.

This space agency funds the technology that Fibertek has created, namely the Basestation Optical Laser Terminal. NASA did not explain the amount of funds they spent, but this laser technology will be used for the Artemis mission.

The Basestation Optical Laser Terminal is a four-channel laser unit for high-power communications. This space technology is expected to be able to support sending images and videos with the best resolution from the lunar region.

“Laser communications, which focuses on a direct connection to Earth, is a mature technology that is critical for NASA to meet future communications capacity and navigation needs,” said SCaN Advanced Communications and Navigation Technology Director Jason Mitchell.

Mitchell added that growing space technology requires a strong domestic supply chain. In this development, technology from Fibertek plays a very important role so that this collaboration will be profitable.

Meanwhile, Small Business Project Manager for the Space Communications and Navigation Program (SCaN) Nang Pham said that this collaboration would not only benefit NASA. According to Pham, Fibertek also feels that they have benefited because their technology development has been helped.

“NASA's investment in the development of this technology is a win-win-win solution for the agency (NASA) and Fibertek, as well as other future systems integrators or developers who wish to use laser communications technology,” Pham said.