NASA Is Going To Put Data On Laser Beam To Send Information From Space To Earth

NASA is working on a laser so sophisticated it will be able to send data to Earth from space and back. This type of technology will help data from any spacecraft get back to those here on Earth more quickly and more easily.

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, or optical communications, are the future of space communication NASA says. Currently data is transmitted on radio frequency, which is slow and can’t handle as much data as LCRD systems. But with the new systems the data collected in space will be encoded onto a beam of light, and then sent between stations and then down to Earth. The newer systems are also smaller and take up less space and use less energy.

Read: SpaceX And Elon Musk Are Planning To Bring The Internet To Space

There will be two ground based stations that will receive the data on Earth, one in California and one in Hawaii, each also with a CODEC, or a device that helps decode and code the data and restore any missing data. These stations will also be able to send encoded data back to space.

The LCRD satellite will be located in a synchronized orbit with Earth and perfectly positioned so that it can receive and send beams of light. “LCRD recently successfully passed a key decision point review and has moved on to the integration and test stage of development, during which engineers will ensure each component will behave as intended after the instrument launches,” according to a statement from NASA. The LCRD is scheduled to launch in 2019.

But NASA isn’t the only company working to improve communication in space. Elon Musk and SpaceX have been in talks with the FCC about a plan to bring the internet to space via a constellation of satellites to bring universal web access to Earth and to those traveling in space. The first of those satellites are proposed for 2019 launches as well.