NASA to Test Laser-based Communication Between Earth and Moon

NASA will piggyback on the upcoming Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission to attempt a two-way laser communication that could one day open the doors to the transmission of mass amounts of data across great distances, including 3-D high definition video transmissions in deep space.

The experiment will be carried out using the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) and hosted aboard the LADEE spacecraft scheduled for launch on Sept. 6.

"The goal of the LLCD experiment is to validate and build confidence in this technology so that future missions will consider using it," Don Cornwell, LLCD manager, said in statement.

Ever since NASA first ventured into space, it has relied on a communication platform based in radio frequency (RF). However, RF is reaching its limit as the demand for more data capacity continues to grow. Laser communications, on the other hand, would enable NASA to extend communication applications, increase image resolution and allow for 3-D video transmission.

As the first system dedicated to two-way communication using laser waves, LLCD is designed to send six times more data from the Moon via a smaller transmitter and 25 percent less power than the equivalent RF system, Cornwell explained, adding that lasers are also more secure and less susceptible to both interference and jamming.

"We can even envision such a laser-based system enabling a robotic mission to an asteroid," Cornwell said. "It could have 3-D, high-definition video signals transmitted to Earth providing essentially 'telepresence' to a human controller on the ground."

The system's main mission objective will be to transmit hundreds of millions of bits of data per second, or the equivalent to transmitting more than 100 HD television channels simultaneously, from the Moon to Earth. Meanwhile, project leaders will test LLCD' receiving capability by sending it tens of millions of bits per second from Earth.