Currently, international astronomy entities have sent different ships or space probes into outer space in order to explain cosmic phenomena and explore the mysterious confines of the infinite cosmos that surrounds us.
Recently, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known by its acronym as NASA, has received mysterious laser signals from outer space. But who do you communicate with?
This time we will tell you about these disturbing laser signals that NASA transmits millions of kilometers in outer space.
On October 12, NASA sent the Psyche spacecraft into outer space, with the aim of exploring the metallic asteroid of the same name, which is located in the main asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter; and obtain evidence that explains the origin of our solar system and the planets that make it up.
This space mission is led by members of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Experts in charge of this mission mention that the Psyche spacecraft is integrated with an innovative technology, called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), to test high data rate laser communications that could be used by future missions. from NASA.
On April 8, JPL members received for the first time the transmission of laser signals from DSOC, which is located aboard the Psyche spacecraft at a distance of 226 million kilometers.
“After interacting with Psyche’s radio frequency transmitter, the laser communications demonstration sent a copy of engineering data from more than 226 million kilometers, one and a half times the distance between Earth and the Sun.“, is mentioned in a NASA statement.
This NASA mission has made a new milestone in the field of modern astronomy, since they have demonstrated the technological effectiveness of a new form of communication in deep space and Earth.
“This achievement offers a glimpse of how spacecraft could use optical communications in the future, enabling higher data-rate communications of complex scientific information, as well as high-definition images and video in support of humanity’s next great leap: sending humans to mars” mentions NASA.
Unlike current next-generation radio frequency systems used by deep space missions, the laser signals transmitted by DSOC are designed to reach speeds 100 times faster.
In addition, the signal received more than 226 million kilometers from the DSOC by the JPL members has surprised them, since they expected to receive laser signals at speeds of at least 1 Mbps at that distance, however, the spacecraft transmitted Test data at a maximum speed of 25Mbps, exceeding your expectations.
«“It was a small amount of data being transmitted in a short period of time, but the fact that we are doing this now has exceeded all of our expectations,” exclaimed Ken Andrews, operations leader for the Psyche mission.
The success of this first communication between JPL members and the DSOC of the Psyche spacecraft will completely transform the ways of deep space communication with Earth, being a great milestone for NASA and modern astronomy.
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