laser communication in space
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NASA’s New ‘Hybrid Antenna’ Boosts Links to Deep Space
NASA outfitted its aging communications network with a hybrid antenna that allowed it to receive both radio frequency and laser signals for the first time, helping the space agency keep up with its increasing number of missions traveling through deep space. Deep Space Station 13, an experimental 112-foot-long (34-meters) radio-frequency-optical-hybrid antenna, tracked and decoded a…
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NASA Asteroid Probe Snaps First Image, Revealing a Field of Stars
It departed our planet just over two months ago, but NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is already 16 million miles from Earth, well on its way to its main destination: the asteroid Psyche. Eager to prove its readiness, the spacecraft recently beamed back the first images captured by both of its cameras to create a tantalising mosaic…
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NASA Fixes Psyche Spacecraft’s Thruster Issue Just in Time for Launch
NASA’s mission to a metal-rich asteroid is back on track after a minor setback. Psyche is now all set to launch on October 12. A week before the original scheduled launch, engineers discovered an issue with the Psyche spacecraft’s thrusters that could have caused it to overheat during its eight-year mission. As a result, NASA…
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NASA Probe Spots Crashed Russian Moon Lander
NASA’s trusty Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured images revealing a fresh crater on the Moon’s surface. This crater is suspected to be the impact site of the ill-fated Luna 25 mission, Russia’s first lunar attempt in nearly five decades. The descent of the Luna 25 lander began on Saturday, August 19, but the mission…