air-and-space is planning to unveil a new laser communications system next month that will allow data to be transmitted between Earth and air-and-space” target=”_blank”>space<.
Laser communications will allow 10 to 100 times more data transmitted back to Earth and open the doors to new discoveries. Additionally, they will require less volume, weight and power, giving more for science instruments, and pose less of a drain on spacecraft power systems.
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“LCRD will demonstrate all of the advantages of using laser systems and allow us to learn how to use them best operationally,” said Principal Investigator David Israel at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in a statement. “With this capability further proven, we can start to implement laser communications on more missions, making it a standardized way to send and receive data.”
LCRD’s initial simulation will occur at ground stations in California and Hawaii, allowing NASA to study atmospheric disturbances on lasers. The technology will then be used to support real space missions.
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NASA’s Integrated Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T), set to launch to the International Space Station in 2022, will be the first in-space user of LCRD.
