Interstellar Hello: Earth’s First Laser Love Letter Beams In from 16 Million Km Away!

The experiment was made possible by the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) tool which was traveling onboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft.

In a historic feat, Earth has now successfully received a laser communication transmitted from a staggering distance of 16 million kilometers, equivalent to 10 million miles – a remarkable 40 times farther than the span between our planet and the moon. This breakthrough was made possible through the deployment of the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) instrument, which is aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. Launched on October 13 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Psyche achieved a groundbreaking milestone on November 14 by establishing a communication link with the Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California. During the test, DSOC’s near-infrared photons traversed the vast expanse from Psyche to Earth in approximately 50 seconds, marking a significant advancement in optical communication technology.

Notably, the successful establishment of the comms link is known as the ‘first light’.

”Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity’s next giant leap,” said Trudy Kortes, who is director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA Headquarters.

Abi Biswas, project technologist for DSOC at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said, “Receiving first light is a tremendous achievement. The deep space laser photons from DSOC’s flight transceiver aboard Psyche were successfully detected by ground equipment. We could also convey data, implying that we may interchange ‘bits of light’ from and to deep space.”

The primary purpose of the Psyche spacecraft is to explore and study the unique metallic asteroid Psyche, providing insights into the history of planet formation and core dynamics. The experiment is planned to last two years, sending and receiving laser signals from increasingly distant locations on its way to its final destination. The spacecraft is expected to reach the asteroid in 2029 and will then proceed to orbit.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the significance of the Psyche mission, stating, “The Psyche mission has the potential to unveil new insights into planet formation, all while pushing the boundaries of technology for future NASA endeavors. As Asteroid Autumn unfolds, NASA remains dedicated to venturing into the unknown and captivating the world through exploration.”

Presently, deep space communications rely on radio signals transmitted to and from expansive Earth-based antennas. However, these radio waves have limited bandwidth. The recent experiment aims to revolutionize this process by utilizing lasers to transmit information between Earth and spacecraft, employing light instead of radio waves. NASA envisions this technology as a game-changer, with the capability to transmit data at speeds 10 to 100 times faster than current space communication equipment. Once implemented, this advancement not only stands to enhance communication for both human and robotic missions but also enables the dispatch of higher-resolution instruments into deep space for more detailed exploration.