NASA’s Psyche probe is on a six-year journey to an asteroid that could contain quintillions of dollars worth of valuable materials. The space agency is also using the journey to test its new laser communication system.
Distance record. Recently, NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstrator successfully exchanged messages with Psyche at an impressive distance of 290 million miles, which is comparable to the maximum separation between Earth and Mars.
While the system isn’t intended to transmit scientific data from the spacecraft, it aims to evaluate the reliability of laser communications over interplanetary distances. This experiment will be particularly beneficial for future manned missions to the Moon and the first trips to Mars.
How it works. Psyche is NASA’s first space probe equipped with a laser transceiver in addition to a conventional radio antenna. This unique feature allows it to communicate with two ground stations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
The DSOC system can transmit data up to 100 times faster than a radio-frequency antenna. This is achieved by using a near-infrared laser. While not traveling faster than light (light always moves at slightly over 186,000 mi/s), the laser operates at a higher frequency than radio waves. This higher frequency enables more data to be packed into each transmission.
Broadband in deep space. Since Psyche’s launch in October 2023, NASA has successfully downloaded approximately 11 terabits of data via the DSOC. One of the first tests involved broadcasting a 4K video of a cat from a distance of nearly 18 million miles.
The DSOC reached its maximum transmission rate when the spacecraft was 33 million miles away, achieving a speed of 267 Mbps, which is comparable to that of a fiber-optic connection. In a previous test conducted at about 242 million miles, the bitrate was 6.25 Mbps. This is significantly higher than what a radio signal would provide at that distance.
SpaceX’s case. SpaceX has been experimenting with laser communications. In September, the Dragon spacecraft made its debut with laser communication during the Polaris Dawn mission, connecting with Starlink satellites.
This new broadband connection enabled the transmission of live high-definition video during an 870-mile altitude flyby of Earth and the first-ever private spacewalk. Additionally, SpaceX broadcast the moment when engineer Sarah Gillis performed a violin piece from space, accompanying an orchestra on Earth.
A break for Psyche. Returning to deep space exploration, the Psyche probe’s transceiver is currently off but will be reactivated on Nov. 4 to test its functionality after a year in space. Engineers expect the system to return to full operation after solar conjunction later this year.
Psyche will pass Mars in May 2026 and reach the asteroid Psyche in July 2029 after traveling 2.2 billion miles. Measuring 143 x 174 kilometers, it’s not only one of the largest known asteroids but also the largest metallic asteroid on record. It’s considered a candidate for the bare protoplanetary core of an ancient solar system planet.
Image | NASA/JPL-Caltech
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