An experimental laser communication system being tested on NASA's latest mission to the Moon has set a new speed record for alien transmissions at 622 Mbps. This means that future NASA missions will be able to transmit video in high definition and in 3D.
The spacecraft LADEE targeted a land-based station in the US with a laser beam (Photo: NASA )
Almost all space missions today rely on radio communications, but they face significant limitations. One problem is that the electromagnetic spectrum is not unlimited, and the frequencies corresponding to radio waves and microwaves are now occupied. NASA, however, needs faster and faster transmissions, and a good solution is to exploit laser radiation at other, wider frequencies.
Laser communication is now being tested on the recently introduced LADEE mission in orbit around the Moon. The vessel communicates via a laser beam with a station in New Mexico.
The speed of 622 Mbps "is six times higher than in the latest Moon radio system," said Don Cornell, LNM Coordinator of the Lunar Lunar Communication Demo (LLCD).
"The bandwidth of 622 Mbps would support 30 high resolution channels," he added.
The next one essay of the technology is planned for 2017, when a geostationary will be launched satellite which will act as a relay to communicate the station in New Mexico with a second station in California.
Editor: Vangelis Pratikakis