NASA to Test Laser Communications from Space Station

NASA is set to demonstrate laser communications from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. The technology demonstration, known as the Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T), will use invisible infrared light to send and receive information at higher data rates than current radio frequency systems.

Once installed on the ISS, ILLUMA-T will transmit high-resolution data, including pictures and videos, to the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), which is currently in geosynchronous orbit. LCRD will then send the data to ground stations in Hawaii and California.

The ILLUMA-T demonstration is a critical step in NASA's plans to use laser communications for future missions to the moon, Mars, and deep space. Laser communications offer a number of advantages over radio frequency systems, including higher data rates, lower power consumption, and resistance to interference.

"Laser communications offer missions more flexibility and an expedited way to get data back from space," said Badri Younes, former deputy associate administrator for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. "We are integrating this technology on demonstrations near Earth, at the moon, and in deep space."

The ILLUMA-T demonstration is scheduled to launch on SpaceX's 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA in 2023.