As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, researchers on the company’s Glenn Analysis Middle in Cleveland are collaborating with The Australian Nationwide College (ANU) to show creative, cost-saving laser communications applied sciences within the lunar surroundings.
Speaking in area often depends on radio waves, however NASA is exploring laser, or optical, communications, which may ship information 10 to 100 occasions sooner to the bottom. As an alternative of radio alerts, these programs use infrared mild to transmit high-definition video, image, voice, and science information throughout huge distances in much less time. NASA has confirmed laser communications throughout earlier technology demonstrations, however Artemis II would be the first crewed mission to aim utilizing lasers to transmit information from deep area.
To help this effort, researchers engaged on the company’s Actual Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) venture have developed a cheap laser transceiver utilizing commercial-off-the-shelf elements. Earlier this yr, NASA Glenn engineers constructed and examined a reproduction of the system on the heart’s Aerospace Communications Facility, and they’re now working with ANU to construct a system with the identical {hardware} fashions to organize for the college’s Artemis II laser communications demo.
“Australia’s upcoming lunar experiment may showcase the aptitude, affordability, and reproducibility of the deep area receiver engineered by Glenn,” mentioned Jennifer Downey, co-principal investigator for the RealTOR venture at NASA Glenn. “It’s an vital step in proving the feasibility of utilizing business elements to develop accessible applied sciences for sustainable exploration past Earth.”
Throughout Artemis II, which is scheduled for early 2026, NASA will fly an optical communications system aboard the Orion spacecraft, which can take a look at utilizing lasers to ship information throughout the cosmos. Throughout the mission, NASA will try and transmit recorded 4K ultra-high-definition video, flight procedures, footage, science information, and voice communications from the Moon to Earth.
Practically 10,000 miles from Cleveland, ANU researchers working on the Mount Stromlo Observatory floor station hope to obtain information throughout Orion’s journey across the Moon utilizing the Glenn-developed transceiver mannequin. This floor station will function a take a look at location for the brand new transceiver design and won’t be one of many mission’s main floor stations. If the take a look at is profitable, it would show that business elements can be utilized to construct reasonably priced, scalable area communication programs for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and past.
“Partaking with The Australian Nationwide College to increase business laser communications choices internationally will additional display how this superior satellite tv for pc communications functionality is able to help the company’s networks and missions as we set our sights on deep area exploration,” mentioned Marie Piasecki, know-how portfolio supervisor for NASA’s House Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program.
As NASA continues to research the feasibility of utilizing business elements to engineer floor stations, Glenn researchers will proceed to offer important help in preparation for Australia’s demonstration.
Robust world partnerships advance know-how breakthroughs and are instrumental as NASA expands humanity’s attain from the Moon to Mars, whereas fueling improvements that enhance life on Earth. Via Artemis, NASA will ship astronauts to discover the Moon for scientific discovery, financial advantages, and construct the inspiration for the primary crewed missions to Mars.
The RealTOR venture is one facet of the optical communications portfolio inside NASA’s SCaN Program, which incorporates demonstrations and in-space experiment platforms to check the viability of infrared mild for sending information to and from area. These embody the LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal) venture, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, and extra. NASA Glenn manages the venture below the path of company’s SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The Australian Nationwide College’s demonstration is supported by the Australian House Company Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant program, which has facilitated operational functionality for the Australian Deep House Optical Floor Station Community.
To find out how area communications and navigation capabilities help each company mission, go to: