Originally published on August 30, 2013
NASA plans to revolutionize space communications with the launch of its Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration.
The LLCD program will be a short period pilot in which NASA will test the capabilities of its Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer. The LADEE promises leaps and bounds in space communications, which has been using the same communication technology systems since the first Sputnik was launched in 1957.
According to ScienceDaily, the demonstration "will attempt to show two-way laser communication beyond Earth is possible, expanding the possibility of transmitting huge amounts of data. This new ability could one day allow for 3-D High Definition video transmissions in deep space to become routine."
LLCD manager Don Cornwall was quoted by the Science Daily as saying, "The goal of the LLCD experiment is to validate and build confidence in this technology so that future missions will consider using it. This unique ability developed by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory), has incredible application possibilities and we are very excited to get this instrument off the ground."
"LLCD is designed to send six times more data from the moon using a smaller transmitter with 25 percent less power as compared to the equivalent state-of-the-art radio (RF) system," said Cornwell. "Lasers are also more secure and less susceptible to interference and jamming."
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