Astronauts on Orion will send video to Earth in the highest quality

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission will not only be the first human spaceflight in decades, but also a revolution in the way we observe space from Earth. The Orion spacecraft is equipped with an O2O laser communication system capable of transmitting Ultra HD video from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away with minimal delays.

According to the agency, the new technology will enable 4K video transmission at speeds of up to 260 Mbps, a dramatic improvement over the radio broadcasts of the Apollo mission, which provided only black-and-white images in the S-band radio frequency range.

The laser communication system will be used not only for video transmission. Procedures, images, and flight plans will be transmitted through it — it will become the main channel between Orion and the ground-based flight control center. Ground-based laser stations are located in Las Cruces and Mountain View, cities chosen for their clear skies, which is a critical condition for optical communication.

The advantage of laser communication is not limited to quality: the optical channel transmits more data at a time, and the equipment takes up less space in the capsule, freeing up space for the crew and scientific instruments. The astronauts will use Nikon digital cameras to take pictures of the Moon, including its reverse side. The images will be transmitted to Earth in real time.

Radio networks will remain a backup means of communication. A global Deep Space network with antennas in California, Spain, and Australia will back up the laser system in case of unforeseen interference. The only planned interruption of communication will be 41 minutes during the ship’s stay behind the Moon — the satellite’s surface blocks both types of signals.

NASA reminds us that 260 Mbps is not a technological limit: a previous demonstration of laser communication showed 622 Mbps, and new near-Earth projects reach 200 Gbps. However, for a mission at a distance of almost 400,000 kilometers, even 260 Mbps is an outstanding achievement in space communications.