NASA tested a laser link to the Moon using a low-cost terminal

During the Artemis II mission, NASA successfully tested a laser data transmission system from the Orion spacecraft to Earth at speeds of up to 260 Mbps. The tests utilized an experimental terminal costing less than $5 million, which is significantly cheaper than standard solutions.

TechCrunch reports on the technology that enabled the transmission of 4K video from the vicinity of the Moon.

Laser communication provides higher bandwidth than radio waves but depends on line of sight and weather conditions. Observable Space and Quantum Opus, the companies that developed the terminal, plan to scale up the technology over the next year. This will enable the creation of an affordable network of ground stations for future lunar missions.

We also reported that NASA launched Artemis II: the first crewed flight to the Moon in 50 years.

NASA celebrated the successful return of the Artemis II crew following their historic mission.

 

 

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