NASA’s Psyche mission, currently en route to explore a metal asteroid between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, has reached a significant milestone in its journey. The mission successfully executed the most distant laser communications demonstration, paving the way for future deep space exploration.

The Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration (DSOC), a part of the Psyche mission, is responsible for testing high-bandwidth laser communications. The mission aims to send and receive data using an invisible near-infrared laser, transmitting data 10 to 100 times faster than traditional radio wave systems. If successful, this experiment could revolutionize communication technology for future missions, including human exploration of Mars.

DSOC recently achieved “first light,” a critical milestone in laser communications. The team sent and received data encoded in a laser beam from nearly 10 million miles. The data was transmitted to the Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory in Pasadena, California, about 40 times farther than the moon is from Earth.

Trudy Kortes, the director of technology demonstrations for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA, expressed excitement about the achievement, stating that it is an essential step towards higher-data-rate communications that can support scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video.

While laser communications have been tested in space before, DSOC represents the first instance of laser communications across deep space. This milestone requires precise aiming and pointing over millions of miles.

The initial tests have provided valuable insights into the laser’s pointing accuracy, allowing the team to refine the system further. Once these refinements are complete, DSOC will be fully prepared to send and receive data to and from the Hale Telescope as it continues its journey into deep space.