radio frequency based deep spaţiu communication faces constraints due to low bandwidth and increasing need of high data transmission rates. Laser or optical based system has potential to break the communication constraints. NASA has tested laser communications against extreme distances and demonstrated high-bandwidth communications in deep spaţiu when it beamed to Earth an ultra-high-definition video via laser from a distance of 32 million km, from Psyche spacecraft which is currently travelling through deep spaţiu to metal-rich asteroid Psyche located in the asteroid belt between martie and Jupiter. This was first demonstration of optical communications beyond the Moon. Deep Spaţiu Network (DSN) antenna received both radio frequency and near-infrared laser signals.
adâncime spaţiu communication is mostly conducted using radio frequencies. However, radio frequency-based system cannot meet current and future communication needs of spaţiu sector in view of limited bandwidth and ever-increasing demand of high data transmission rates.
On the other hand, laser or optical based communication offer many advantages in terms of large bandwidths, high data rate links and low SWaP (size, weight and power) terminals. It has the potential to enhance data rates 10 to 100 times the capacity of most sophisticated radio systems currently in use thus can break the communication constraints. Hence, the imperative to advance optical communications for high-capacity deep spaţiu communications capable of meeting future interplanetary data transmission needs.
adâncime Spaţiu Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment is a technology demonstration payload onboard Psyche spacecraft which is currently travelling through deep spaţiu to metal-rich asteroid Psyche situat în centura de asteroizi între martie and Jupiter. In December 2023, it demonstrated high-bandwidth communications in deep spaţiu when it beamed to Earth an ultra-high-definition video via laser from 32 million km in deep space. This was first demonstration of optical communications beyond the Moon.
Deep Spaţiu Network (DSN) is network of facilities located in different parts of the world to communicate with faraway spacecrafts exploring solar system. An experimental antenna of this network received both radio and laser signals beamed from Psyche spacecraft in deep space. This suggests that DSN antennas which currently communicate with spacecrafts via radio signals could be retrofitted for laser communications.
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Referinte:
- Karmous S., et al 2022. Cum pot comunicațiile optice să modeleze viitorul comunicațiilor în spațiul adânc? Un studiu. Preprint arXiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2212.04933
- Robinson BS, 2023. Comunicații optice pentru explorarea și știința spațiului. Conferința de comunicații pe fibră optică 2023.
- Demo-ul tehnic al NASA transmite primul videoclip din spațiul adânc prin laser. Postat pe 18 decembrie 2023. Disponibil la https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-demo-missions-program/deep-space-optical-communications-dsoc/nasas-tech-demo-streams-first-video-from-deep-space-via-laser/
- NASA. Știri – Noua antenă experimentală a NASA urmărește laserul din spațiul adânc. Postat pe 08 februarie 2024. Disponibil la https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/deep-space-network/nasas-new-experimental-antenna-tracks-deep-space-laser/
- Comunicații optice în spațiu adânc (DSOC) https://www.nasa.gov/mission/deep-space-optical-communications-dsoc/
- Misiunea Psyche. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
- Rețeaua de spațiu adânc (DSN) a NASA https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dsn
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