NASA streams cat video from deep space using a laser

This event occurred on December 11th and marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of deep space communication.

The experiment successfully beamed back a 15-second test video featuring a cat named Taters, sent from a record-setting distance of approximately 31 million kilometres, about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy highlighted the importance of this breakthrough, stating: “This accomplishment underscores our commitment to advancing optical communications as a key element to meeting our future data transmission needs. Increasing our bandwidth is essential to achieving our future exploration and science goals, and we look forward to the continued advancement of this technology and the transformation of how we communicate during future interplanetary missions.”

The video was transmitted via a flight laser transceiver, taking 101 seconds to reach Earth at a maximum bit rate of 267 megabits per second (Mbps). The instrument, capable of sending and receiving near-infrared signals, directed an encoded laser to the Hale Telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. Each frame was then relayed ‘live’ to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.

The technology demonstration, part of NASA’s Psyche mission launched on October 13, aims to transmit data from deep space at rates 10 to 100 times greater than current radio frequency systems. This enhancement is vital for sending complex scientific information, high-definition imagery, and video, crucial for human missions to Mars.

The significance of Taters

Bill Klipstein, the Project Manager at JPL, explained the choice of video content: “But to make this significant event more memorable, we decided to work with designers at JPL to create a fun video, which captures the essence of the demo as part of the Psyche mission.” The video of Taters chasing a laser pointer, embellished with overlay graphics, not only served as a test but also paid homage to early television broadcasts featuring Felix the Cat.

Ryan Rogalin, the project’s receiver electronics lead at JPL, remarked on the efficiency of the transmission: “Despite transmitting from millions of miles away, it was able to send the video faster than most broadband internet connections. In fact, after receiving the video at Palomar, it was sent to JPL over the Internet, and that connection was slower than the signal coming from deep space. JPL’s DesignLab did an amazing job helping us showcase this technology – everyone loves Taters.”

This latest success follows the ‘first light’ achievement on November 14, with the system demonstrating increased data downlink speeds and pointing accuracy.

The Deep Space Optical Communications demonstration, funded by the Technology Demonstration Missions program and supported by NASA’s SCaN programme, represents a significant leap in space communication technology. As the Psyche mission, led by Arizona State University and managed by JPL, continues its journey, this advancement paves the way for a new era of interplanetary exploration and data sharing.