NASA's Optical Communication Technology Breaks Data Transmission Record With A Distance Of 226 Million Kilometers

The Psyche spacecraft connected to the DSOC (photo: dock. NASA)

NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) managed to break the record for data transmission at its furthest distance. This record was set after the DSOC was connected to the Psyche spacecraft.

These two devices are connected and interacting even though the Psyche radio transmitter is 226 million kilometers away, about 1.5 distances between Earth and the Sun. Psyche also managed to send a copy of the data which was then well received by the DSOC.

This record shows that spacecrafts can rely on optical communication networks. Various rides in space can transmit complex scientific information at very far distances, but at high data speeds.

The DSOC is capable of transmitting test data at a maximum speed of 267Mbps from infrared downlink lasers. According toUS Srinivasan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Project Operations Leader (JPL), this capability is very important for space interactions.

We have submitted testing and diagnostic data through our downlink from Psyche, Srinivasan said. "This is an important milestone for this project by showing how optical communication can interact with the spacecraft's radio frequency communication system."

On December 11, Psyche managed to connect with DSOC within 15 seconds. The longer Psyche takes, the longer it takes. The peak of the new transmission occurred on April 8 within ten minutes.

Technological demonstrations Pysche and DSOC show that transceivers are capable of receiving data from uplink lasers. This experiment also shows an equally extraordinary capability, namely the transmission of digital data back and forth within 450 kilometers.