According to officials from the US Space Agency (NASA), a plan is in place, whose purpose will be to prove that communications in our solar system they can be done at the speed of light. The demonstration spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2017.
The Laser Relay Broadcast Demonstration (LcrD = Laser Communications Relay Demonstration) is trying to demonstrate that focused laser beams can be successfully used to transmit data across the solar system, much faster than is currently possible with radio waves or other methods. For example, today it takes about 8 to 10 minutes for the signalthose emitted from Earth to reach the robot located on Mars.
These times could be significantly reduced, say NASA researchers. The LcrD mission was created precisely to achieve this goal. Although it will be just a test spacecraft, success or failure will determine to a great extent whether we will continue to dream of using laser to communicate in space.
The plan passed recently επιτυχώς ένα σημαντικό ορόσημο της αξιολόγησης της NASA που ονομάζεται κριτική προμελέτη, η οποία εξετάζει την γενική κατάσταση του σχεδίου, αντί των στοιχείων της, και στη συνέχεια αξιολογεί τις πιθανότητες της επιτυχίας.
NASA's mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2017, from one commercial satellite. LCDR is largely intended to follow in the footsteps of the highly successful Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD = Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration), which was also developed by NASA.
Watch a related one video from NASA
