NASA's LCRD mission transmits first laser beams from space

"First Light is a critical milestone where the mission transmits its first beams of laser light through LCRD's optical telescopes. Soon, the mission will begin its first experiments, demonstrating the benefits of optical communications," NASA's optical communications mission team tweeted.

NASA's first-ever laser communications relay system, Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), has successfully transmitted its first laser beams - First Light - through its optical telescopes, a critical milestone for the mission that aims to demonstrate the unique capabilities of laser/optical communications.

The LCRD mission was launched on December 7, 2021, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

"First Light is a critical milestone where the mission transmits its first beams of laser light through LCRD's optical telescopes. Soon, the mission will begin its first experiments, demonstrating the benefits of optical communications," NASA's optical communications mission team tweeted.

LCRD features two optical terminals - one that receives data from a user spacecraft, while the other transmits data to ground stations on Earth. It leverages the power of laser communications, which uses infrared light rather than radio waves, to encode and transmit information to and from Earth, allowing 10 to 100 times more data to be transmitted back to Earth than the latter.

The missions' ground stations on Earth are located on Table Mountain, California, and Haleakalā, Hawaii. Once LCRD receives information and encodes it, the payload sends the data to ground stations that are each equipped with telescopes to receive the light and modems to translate the encoded light back into digital data.

Additionally, laser systems provide decreased size, weight, and power requirements, making them ideal for space missions.

NASA's LCRD mission will spend two years conducting tests and experiments and after the experimental phase, it will support in-space missions.

Beam us up! Launched Dec. 7, our @NASALasercomm mission #LCRD just transmitted its first laser beams. The milestone, called First Light, is one step closer to faster communication between Earth and space: https://t.co/SXmiX8dq64 pic.twitter.com/I1UlK7twfL

— NASA (@NASA) January 28, 2022