NASA’s new record: sent a message 226 million kilometers from Earth

On its way to its primary target, the asteroid Psyche, From to inquiry NASA Test a of the same name A new way of communication With Earth: Laser.

This week the US space agency announced it had managed it A record of receiving a message 226 million kilometers from our planet, One way to revolutionize space communications is because it reaches faster and faster than radio waves.

Unlike its predecessors, they are still far awayLike Voyager 1 and 2Juno et al., Psyche First equipped ship with a Laser TransceiverDeep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) or Optical Communications System Deep Space Optical Communications System. All this, in addition to a traditional radio antenna.

Generally, information is sent Radio waves, because it is the traditional way. For example, messages sent through surveys Voyager-1It is currently high 24,000 million kilometers, taking 22.5 hours to reach And many must leave the earth.

Scientists have repeatedly said they need something faster, especially when thinking about futures with humans on distant worlds, and they are exploring ways to send a message via laser.

A DSOC can transmit data much faster than a radio frequency antenna using a near-infrared laser. Not that the laser travels fast (Light always travels at 300,000 kilometers per second) But it has 10 and 100 times more bandwidthTherefore More data can be sent and received in less time.

Apart from visiting an asteroid, the Psyche probe also has very relevant secondary missions for the future. One of them is testing DSOC technology. In November last year, NASA managed to send an infrared message while the spacecraft was there 16 million kilometers awayIt was an achievement.

The message only contained information about the ship’s status. However, the US space agency outdid itself with its next test. Specifically, Psyche sent a 15-second high-definition video clip to Earth when it was already 30 million kilometers away. The most surprising thing of all is the content: A kitten playing with a laser pointer.

On April 8, 2024, the Psych study was already there 226 million km from EarthThat means we have more than 5 years of travel until we encounter the asteroid in question, beyond the orbit of Mars and at a distance equal to 1.5 times the distance that separates our planet from the Sun.

At the time, NASA decided to go one step further As confirmed, transmit 10 minutes of data to our planet Meera Srinivasan, Project Operations Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “This is a very important milestone for the project because it shows how optical communications can interact with a spacecraft’s radio frequency communications system,” Srinivasan said.

Additionally, he stressed that testing is a great step forward Enables communication of complex scientific information, high definition images and videos. An important one when it comes time to send humans to Mars.

Contacts for assignments NASA Deep space is powered by the Deep Space Network, a network of antennas at three sites around the world that primarily use radio. But still Laser communications can provide 10 to 100 times more bandwidth. Therefore, NASA wants to experiment using this technology in situations like scientific data transfer.

The DSOC trial will continue for another two years. Primarily uses experimental data, but is capable of transmitting data from the Psych spacecraft. The ship is also equipped with traditional radio communications, so it will be a purely functional test.

“Optical communication is a boon to scientists and researchers, who always want more from their space missions, and it will enable deep human space exploration. More data means more discoveries,” said NASA’s Advanced Information in Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. Jason Mitchell, director of communications and navigation technology, said.

In general, information is transmitted in and out of the Earth Radio waves. Information, in any form, is converted into an electrical signal by a medium Transformer That signal is then converted into radio waves that are capable of traveling in all directions through space without the need for cables. This has allowed us to interact with space for decades, but it also has some obstacles.

Lasers use mid-frequency infrared radiation, a wavelength short enough to carry a lot of information at once. This is because data can be loaded on each oscillation of the wave. The shorter its length, the more oscillations in the same space, and the more information can be loaded.

Also, since the photon beam is directed to a specific point, information is not lost in all directions and can travel faster. Specifically, it is estimated that sending a message through a laser 10 to 100 times faster than radio waves.

The main objective of the Psyche probe, launched by NASA on October 13, 2023, is to The asteroid that gives it its name and revolves around the Sun at a Position between Mars and Jupiter.

This body It is famous for its ingredients. In total, its value is estimated to be equal to 10 trillion dollars, which is more than the entire world economy.