NASA’s Psyche mission, on its way to explore a metal asteroid located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, has achieved a significant milestone in the field of deep space communications. The mission is accompanied by the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, or DSOC, which is designed to test high-bandwidth laser communications at extreme distances.
DSOC, a key component of NASA’s exploration technology development efforts, aims to demonstrate the capabilities of laser communications for sending and receiving data between spacecraft and Earth. Unlike traditional radio wave systems, lasers can transmit data at much higher speeds, potentially revolutionizing how future deep space missions communicate with Earth.
On November 14, 2023, DSOC achieved “first light,” marking the successful transmission and reception of data using an invisible near-infrared laser. During this milestone, DSOC sent a laser beacon from NASA’s Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at the Table Mountain Facility near Wrightwood, California, to the DSOC transceiver instrument aboard the Psyche spacecraft, which was approximately 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) away. The data was then transmitted back to the Hale Telescope at the California Institute of Technology’s Palomar Observatory in Pasadena, California.
This achievement represents a significant advancement in deep space communication technology, as it demonstrates the feasibility of high-speed laser communications over vast distances. DSOC has the potential to send data at speeds ranging from 10 to 100 times that of traditional radio wave systems. If successful, this technology could be used in future missions, including those involving human exploration of Mars.
While DSOC won’t transmit scientific data collected by the Psyche spacecraft, it serves as an experimental platform for testing the laser’s capabilities. Data is encoded in the laser’s photons, which can be detected and extracted on Earth using specialized detector arrays. This optical communication method has the potential to enhance data transfer capabilities for future deep space missions, leading to more efficient and rapid transmission of scientific findings.
As the Psyche spacecraft continues its journey to reach the metal asteroid in the outer asteroid belt, the DSOC team will face challenges related to the time it takes for laser messages to travel across space. At its farthest point from Earth, the laser is expected to take approximately 20 minutes to travel one way, requiring precise coordination and pointing accuracy.
The success of DSOC’s “first light” milestone opens up new possibilities for enhancing communication in deep space, providing researchers and scientists with more data to support their missions and discoveries. As Psyche continues its mission, it will continue to prepare for its primary objectives, including studying the asteroid upon arrival in July 2029 to uncover insights about the early solar system’s formation.
