NASA’s New Experimental Antenna Tracks Deep Space Laser

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Deep Space Station 13 at NASA’s Goldstone complex in California – part of the agency’s Deep Space Network – is an experimental antenna that has been retrofitted with an optical terminal. In a first, this proof of concept received both radio frequency and laser signals from deep space at the same time. NASA/JPL-Caltech Capable of receiving both radio frequency and optical signals, the DSN’s hybrid antenna has tracked and decoded the downlink laser from DSOC, aboard NASA’s Psyche mission.…

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NASA’s Tech Demo Streams First Video From Deep Space via Laser

Members of the DSOC team react to the first high-definition streaming video to be sent via laser from deep space on Dec. 11 at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sent by the DSOC transceiver aboard the Psyche spacecraft, nearly 19 million miles from Earth, the video features a cat named Taters. NASA/JPL-Caltech A computer screen in the mission support area shows Taters the cat in a still from the first high-definition streaming video to be sent via laser from deep space, as well as the incoming data stream delivering the frames…

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NASA, SpaceX Launch New Science, Hardware to Space Station

4 min read NASA, SpaceX Launch New Science, Hardware to Space Station NASA’s SpaceX 29th commercial resupply mission launched at 8:28 p.m. EST, Thursday, Nov. 9, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following a successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX 29th commercial resupply mission, scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies of enhanced optical communications and measurement of atmospheric waves, are on their way to the International Space Station. SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon resupply spacecraft, carrying about 6,500 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, launched…

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