NASA's New Experimental Antenna Tracks Deep Space Laser

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 12, 2024

An experimental antenna has received both radio frequency and near-infrared laser signals from NASA's Psyche spacecraft as it travels through deep space. This shows it's possible for the giant dish antennas of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which communicate with spacecraft via radio waves, to be retrofitted for optical, or laser, communications. By packing more data into transmissions,