{"id":775788,"date":"2023-12-18T17:50:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T22:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=775788"},"modified":"2023-12-18T17:50:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T22:50:53","slug":"nasas-tech-demo-streams-first-video-from-deep-space-via-laser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=775788","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Tech Demo Streams First Video From Deep Space via Laser"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>The video, featuring a cat named Taters, was sent back from nearly 19 million miles away by NASA\u2019s laser communications demonstration, marking a historic milestone.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment beamed an ultra-high definition streaming video on Dec. 11 from a record-setting 19 million miles away (31 million kilometers, or about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance). The milestone is part of a NASA technology demonstration aimed at streaming very high-bandwidth video and other data from deep space \u2013 enabling future human missions beyond Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis accomplishment underscores our commitment to advancing optical communications as a key element to meeting our future data transmission needs,\u201d said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. \u201cIncreasing our bandwidth is essential to achieving our future exploration and science goals, and we look forward to the continued advancement of this technology and the transformation of how we communicate during future interplanetary missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The demo transmitted the 15-second test video via a cutting-edge instrument called a flight laser transceiver. The video signal took 101 seconds to reach Earth, sent at the system\u2019s maximum bit rate of 267 megabits per second (Mbps). Capable of sending and receiving near-infrared signals, the instrument beamed an encoded near-infrared laser to the Hale Telescope at Caltech\u2019s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, where it was downloaded. Each frame from the looping video was then sent \u201clive\u201d to NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the video was played in real time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Video NASA\u2019s Laser Communications Experiment Streamed From Deep Space\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GvJtVOmFs5Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This 15-second clip shows the first ultra-high-definition video sent via laser from deep space, featuring a cat named Taters chasing a laser with test graphics overlayed. To see a \u201ccheat sheet\u201d explaining the components of the video, click here. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The laser communications demo, which launched with NASA\u2019s Psyche mission on Oct. 13, is designed to transmit data from deep space at rates 10 to 100 times greater than the state-of-the-art radio frequency systems used by deep space missions today. As Psyche travels to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the technology demonstration will send high-data-rate signals as far out as the Red Planet\u2019s greatest distance from Earth. In doing so, it paves the way for higher-data-rate communications capable of sending complex scientific information, high-definition imagery, and video in support of humanity\u2019s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the goals is to demonstrate the ability to transmit broadband video across millions of miles. Nothing on Psyche generates video data, so we usually send packets of randomly generated test data,\u201d said Bill Klipstein, the tech demo\u2019s project manager at JPL. \u201cBut to make this significant event more memorable, we decided to work with designers at JPL to create a fun video, which captures the essence of the demo as part of the Psyche mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Feline Frequency<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Uploaded before launch, the short ultra-high definition video features an orange tabby cat named Taters, the pet of a JPL employee, chasing a laser pointer, with overlayed graphics. The graphics illustrate several features from the tech demo, such as Psyche\u2019s orbital path, Palomar\u2019s telescope dome, and technical information about the laser and its data bit rate. Tater\u2019s heart rate, color, and breed are also on display.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite transmitting from millions of miles away, it was able to send the video faster than most broadband internet connections,\u201d said Ryan Rogalin, the project\u2019s receiver electronics lead at JPL. \u201cIn fact, after receiving the video at Palomar, it was sent to JPL over the internet, and that connection was slower than the signal coming from deep space. JPL\u2019s DesignLab did an amazing job helping us showcase this technology \u2013 everyone loves Taters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a historical link: Beginning in 1928, a small statue of the popular cartoon character Felix the Cat was featured in television test broadcast transmissions. Today, cat videos and memes are some of the most popular content online.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Milestone After Milestone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This latest milestone comes after \u201cfirst light\u201d was achieved on Nov. 14. Since then, the system has demonstrated faster data downlink speeds and increased pointing accuracy during its weekly checkouts. On the night of Dec. 4, the project demonstrated downlink bit rates of 62.5 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 267 Mbps, which is comparable to broadband internet download speeds. The team was able to download a total of 1.3 terabits of data during that time. As a comparison, NASA\u2019s Magellan mission to Venus downlinked 1.2 terabits during its entire mission from 1990 to 1994.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we achieved first light, we were excited, but also cautious. This is a new technology, and we are experimenting with how it works,\u201d said Ken Andrews, project flight operations lead at JPL. \u201cBut now, with the help of our Psyche colleagues, we are getting used to working with the system and can lock onto the spacecraft and ground terminals for longer than we could previously. We are learning something new during each checkout.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More About the Mission<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Deep Space Optical Communications demonstration is the latest in a series of optical communication demonstrations funded by the Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) program under NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate and supported by NASA\u2019s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program within the agency\u2019s Space Operations Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n<p>The Psyche mission is led by Arizona State University. JPL is responsible for the mission\u2019s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA\u2019s Discovery Program under the Science Mission Directorate, managed by the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program, based at the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed the launch service. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis<\/p>\n<p>For more information about the laser communications demo, visit:<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>News Media Contact<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Ian J. O\u2019Neill<br \/>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br \/>818-354-2649<br \/>ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov<\/p>\n<p>2023-184<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/stmd\/tech-demo-missions-program\/deep-space-optical-communications-dsoc\/nasas-tech-demo-streams-first-video-from-deep-space-via-laser\/?rand=772114\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The video, featuring a cat named Taters, was sent back from nearly 19 million miles away by NASA\u2019s laser communications demonstration, marking a historic milestone. NASA\u2019s Deep Space Optical Communications&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":775789,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-775788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-NASA"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=775788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/775789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=775788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=775788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=775788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}