Comments on: Laser talks to the moon https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28319 podrock Tue, 05 Nov 2013 03:16:43 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28319 That little pencil icon takes you to an editor, if you want to make changes. We've found that HTML works better via editing a post. Glad you stopped by and congratulations on the project. That little pencil icon takes you to an editor, if you want to make changes. We’ve found that HTML works better via editing a post.

Glad you stopped by and congratulations on the project.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28317 RobVG Tue, 05 Nov 2013 03:07:22 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28317 Awesome. And Thanks! Awesome. And Thanks!

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28316 RL Tue, 05 Nov 2013 02:59:24 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28316 Been a VERY long day Been a VERY long day

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28315 RL Tue, 05 Nov 2013 02:54:16 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28315 The one drawback of lasercom is that its more vulnerable to clouds than RF, however this can be overcome by adding 'site diversity' (Before TB panics, this is not referring to a quota system)- multiple sites in relatively cloud free areas so there is a high likelihood at least ONE will have clear line of sight - we have 3 ground terminals on this mission- White Sands, Canary islands, and one on Table mountain near JPL. Only the white sands terminal is capable of doing 2 way com at the highest data rate- (20 Mbps up, 622Mbps down). Needing multiple terminals isnt so bad, since they are so much smaller than the huge dishes currently in use- This is a video I made to illustrate the size difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzrgd2Om1nc The signals are encoded so that a bird flying through the beam wont corrupt the data ... Thick clouds are a showstopper, but you would be surprised how well it works through thin clouds- the reason is the wavelength we use is in the IR, 1.5 micron- longer wavelengths dont scatter as much as shorter ones- so thin clouds appear even thinner to our wavelength. With a large network of wisely placed ground terminals you can have high probability that at least one will have line of sight. LLCD is to just demonstrate the technology, the follow on project I am also working on is LCRD will be the first real step in making a deep space laser network... in the future rovers on Mars may be able to send back streaming HD 3d video... but even more importantly it will allow future missions to put more powerful instruments on spacecraft... not only does laser com let you send back orders of magnitude more data, but it takes up less size weight and power on the spacecraft than RF. See more at: http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/271.html http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Images/LLCD-Images.html http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Videos.html The one drawback of lasercom is that its more vulnerable to clouds than RF, however this can be overcome by adding ‘site diversity’ (Before TB panics, this is not referring to a quota system)- multiple sites in relatively cloud free areas so there is a high likelihood at least ONE will have clear line of sight – we have 3 ground terminals on this mission- White Sands, Canary islands, and one on Table mountain near JPL.

Only the white sands terminal is capable of doing 2 way com at the highest data rate- (20 Mbps up, 622Mbps down). Needing multiple terminals isnt so bad, since they are so much smaller than the huge dishes currently in use- This is a video I made to illustrate the size difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzrgd2Om1nc

The signals are encoded so that a bird flying through the beam wont corrupt the data …

Thick clouds are a showstopper, but you would be surprised how well it works through thin clouds- the reason is the wavelength we use is in the IR, 1.5 micron- longer wavelengths dont scatter as much as shorter ones- so thin clouds appear even thinner to our wavelength. With a large network of wisely placed ground terminals you can have high probability that at least one will have line of sight.

LLCD is to just demonstrate the technology, the follow on project I am also working on is LCRD will be the first real step in making a deep space laser network… in the future rovers on Mars may be able to send back streaming HD 3d video… but even more importantly it will allow future missions to put more powerful instruments on spacecraft… not only does laser com let you send back orders of magnitude more data, but it takes up less size weight and power on the spacecraft than RF.

See more at: http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/271.html
http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Images/LLCD-Images.html
http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Videos.html

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28266 RobVG Sun, 03 Nov 2013 17:00:11 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28266 Thanks. And that would be very cool. Thanks. And that would be very cool.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28258 podrock Sun, 03 Nov 2013 05:20:39 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28258 RL can explain it better, maybe he will... RL can explain it better, maybe he will…

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28240 podrock Sat, 02 Nov 2013 17:53:26 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28240 I'll ask. I’ll ask.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28239 RobVG Sat, 02 Nov 2013 17:23:20 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28239 Radio waves can travel through objects like your car or your house. Once a beam hits a cloud of dust or a rock or whatever, the signal is momentarily lost. I wonder if they send the data in duplicate 'packets' complete with 'instructions' on how to assemble them. Radio waves can travel through objects like your car or your house. Once a beam hits a cloud of dust or a rock or whatever, the signal is momentarily lost. I wonder if they send the data in duplicate ‘packets’ complete with ‘instructions’ on how to assemble them.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28234 TB Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:36:08 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28234 <p>Check out LaFon's other two videos on YouTube!</p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/RobertLafon71" rel="nofollow">Link</a> Check out LaFon’s other two videos on YouTube!

Link

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2013/11/01/laser-talks-to-the-moon/#comment-28233 podrock Sat, 02 Nov 2013 04:51:19 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=40186#comment-28233 [youtube]ccb7FCJMKhg[/youtube] [youtube]ccb7FCJMKhg[/youtube]

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