NASA Extends Laser Communication in Space to 226 Million Kilometers

2024 · VOA Learning English

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Transcript

1. The American space agency NASA has completed a new experiment that sent data over 226 million kilometers in space.

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2. The result marks a major improvement over previous tests that measured data transfers over 31 million kilometers.

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3. The method is known as Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC).

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4. The high-speed transfer technology uses lasers to send large data files over very long distances.

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5. NASA is looking to the method to improve, or upgrade, existing communication technology.

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6. Traditionally, NASA has depended on radio communications to send data back and forth through space.

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7. But this method has a limited bandwidth meaning at a certain point the system can no longer effectively process data.

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8. So, the agency is seeking to use the new method to support new technologies and planned trips to the moon and other places.

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9. NASA officials say the DSOC system will be able to transfer huge amounts of science data through space.

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10. This is especially needed for large data files, as well as high-quality images and videos sent from space.

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11. The DSOC system is based on laser technology. Laser communications are also known as optical communications.

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12. NASA explains that the technology will permit “up to 100 times more data” to be sent back to Earth than current radio wave systems.

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13. “Much like fiber optics replacing old telephone lines on Earth as demand for data grows, going from radio communications to laser, or optical, communications will

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14. allow increased data rates throughout the solar system,” NASA said in a statement.

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15. NASA said the laser system works with signals that exist at near-infrared wavelengths.

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16. Data transferred by laser takes the form of bits the smallest pieces of data a computer can process. These bits are contained within the laser’s photons

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17. NASA is testing the DSOC on its Psyche spacecraft. Psyche was launched in October 2023 on its way to observe a mostly metal asteroid

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18. The experiments involved a device aboard Psyche. It was able to send data to and receive data from a telescope in California.

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19. The agency estimates it would take about nine weeks to transmit a complete map of Mars back to Earth with current radio frequency systems.

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20. But with a laser-based method, the time would be cut to nine days. Also, laser communications equipment is smaller and requires less energy.

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21. Laser-based communication has already been demonstrated in low Earth orbit and on the moon.

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22. But the research team working on the DSOC project said this is the first time the method has been successfully tested in deep space.

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23. Meera Srinivasan is a project leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

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24. She said in a statement the system was able to transfer about 10 minutes of data during an experiment on April 8.

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25. Srinivasan said the result represented an important new milestone for the project. The asteroid Psyche is traveling to is also called Psyche.

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26. NASA expects the spacecraft to travel about 3.6 million kilometers over six years to reach the asteroid.

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27. Developers of the system say when Psyche is at its farthest point from our planet, the DSOC system’s photons will take about 20 minutes to travel back to Earth.

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