NASA Just Fired a Laser 10 Million Miles Away in Deep Space. Here’s Why
The MessengerNov 23, 2023
NASA Receives Laser Beam Message From 10M Miles out in Space
Image copyright: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A NASA spacecraft, called Psyche, has fired a near-infrared laser roughly 10M miles (16M km) through space back to the Hale Telescope at the California Institute of Technology's (Caltech) Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, Calif. The test data was sent about 40 times farther than the distance between the Earth and the moon — about 239K miles (384 km).
The mission, conducted by NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications project, was the first-ever use of a laser to send a message that far into space. While the agency has long used radio waves to communicate in space, this technology is believed to provide humans with the ability to stream video calls on Mars.
The Spin
Narrative A
As NASA missions progress further and further into space, the agency will need to build strong communication systems for astronauts to stay in touch with family from far-away locations. This laser beam reception is the next step in what could be astronauts' ability to engage in high-definition video conferences from places like Mars. This test was an exciting development for future human space-faring activities.
Narrative B
This test was a success, but global curiosity over space exploration doesn't mean we have to invest in the expensive technologies needed to send human astronauts millions of miles away. Earthly onlookers are just as excited to hear about robots on Mars as they are about the potential for a human landing — why risk continuing the trend of a 3% astronaut death rate when we can pursue the final frontier more safely and cost-effectively?
Nerd narrative
There is a 1% chance that NASA will land people on Mars prior to 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.