Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), a laser space communication system, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has achieved "first light" as it successfully transmitted data through laser over a distance of 10 million miles.&nbsp;

NASA said on Nov 16 that the experiment beamed data encoded within a near-infrared laser to the Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California.&nbsp;

The distance was about 40 times farther than the Moon is from Earth, as it became the farthest-ever demonstration of optical communications.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-scientists-say-this-lost-asteroid-could-strike-earth-in-2024-661079">Deep Impact? A 'lost asteroid' could strike Earth in 2024, NASA estimates show</a>&nbsp;

DSOC is placed on the recently launched Psyche spacecraft. It is configured to send high-bandwidth data to Earth during its two-year technology demonstration.&nbsp;Psyche mission is&nbsp;travelling&nbsp;to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter after being launched in October this year.&nbsp;

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages, both DSOC and the Psyche mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The space agency said that the tech demo achieved "first light" in the early hours of Nov 14.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-decode-millennia-old-mystery-as-to-why-red-wine-causes-headaches-660928">Scientists decode millennia-old mystery as to why red wine causes headaches</a>

<h2>'Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones'&nbsp;</h2>

As quoted by NASA, Trudy Kortes, director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: "Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity's next giant leap: sending humans to Mars."&nbsp;

The US-based space agency said that the test data also was sent simultaneously via the uplink and downlink lasers — a procedure known as "closing the link" that is a primary objective for the experiment.&nbsp;

As quoted, Meera Srinivasan, operations lead for DSOC at JPL, said: "Tuesday morning’s test was the first to fully incorporate the ground assets and flight transceiver, requiring the DSOC and Psyche operations teams to work in tandem. It was a formidable challenge, and we have a lot more work to do, but for a short time, we were able to transmit, receive, and decode some data."&nbsp;

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), a laser space communication system, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has achieved "first light" as it successfully transmitted data through laser over a distance of 10 million miles.

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), a laser space communication system, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has achieved "first light" as it successfully transmitted data through laser over a distance of 10 million miles. NASA said on Nov 16 that the experiment beamed data encoded within a near-infrared laser to the Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. The distance was about 40 times farther than the Moon is from Earth, as it became the farthest-ever demonstration of optical communications. Also read: Deep Impact? A 'lost asteroid' could strike Earth in 2024, NASA estimates show DSOC is placed on the recently launched Psyche spacecraft. It is configured to send high-bandwidth data to Earth during its two-year technology demonstration. Psyche mission is travelling to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter after being launched in October this year. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages, both DSOC and the Psyche mission. The space agency said that the tech demo achieved "first light" in the early hours of Nov 14. Also read: Scientists decode millennia-old mystery as to why red wine causes headaches 'Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones' As quoted by NASA, Trudy Kortes, director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: "Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity's next giant leap: sending humans to Mars." The US-based space agency said that the test data also was sent simultaneously via the uplink and downlink lasers — a procedure known as "closing the link" that is a primary objective for the experiment. As quoted, Meera Srinivasan, operations lead for DSOC at JPL, said: "Tuesday morning’s test was the first to fully incorporate the ground assets and flight transceiver, requiring the DSOC and Psyche operations teams to work in tandem. It was a formidable challenge, and we have a lot more work to do, but for a short time, we were able to transmit, receive, and decode some data."

Laser message reaches Earth from nearly 10 million miles away in space

NASA is going to launch a mission to what could almost be considered a journey to the centre of the Earth.&nbsp;

The US space agency's Psyche mission is a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.&nbsp;

The spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/researchers-design-flying-saucer-that-can-levitate-on-moon-asteroids-441035" hreflang="en">Researchers design 'flying saucer' that can levitate on moon, asteroids</a>

Wall Street research firm Bernstein notes that a big asteroid called 16 Psyche, measuring some 200 km, may contain 17 million billion tones of nickel-iron, enough to satisfy mankind’s current demand for millions of years.

Deep within rocky, terrestrial planets, including Earth, scientists infer the presence of metallic cores, but these lie unreachably far below the planets' rocky mantles and crusts.&nbsp;

As we cannot see or measure Earth's core directly, Psyche offers a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-hidden-passageway-beneath-panama-through-which-wind-from-earths-middle-layer-blows-440199" hreflang="en">Scientists discover hidden passageway beneath Panama through which wind from Earth's middle layer blows</a>

The Psyche spacecraft will give us more than a glimpse of our deep past; we could see the beginnings of our technological future.&nbsp;

Instead of traditional rocket fuel, Psyche will gradually build up speed using ion propulsion. Electricity from the space probe’s solar panels will power a new type of thruster, called a Hall thruster, for the first time in deep space.

Psyche will take a swing past Mars for a gravitational push during its 3.5-year cruise to the asteroid, then spend 21 months measuring and mapping, gradually tightening its orbit until it passes just above the surface.

The real value in asteroid mining is for further space travel, and so hydrogen and oxygen reserves are as attractive as any metal.

The energy released when hydrogen and oxygen combine to make water can power rockets. The presence of both elements in compounds found on asteroids offers scope to set up space factories to make fuel for missions to Mars and beyond as well as offering “pit stops” to extend the lives of satellites.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA is going to launch a mission to what could almost be considered a journey to the centre of the Earth. The US space agency's Psyche mission is a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

NASA is going to launch a mission to what could almost be considered a journey to the centre of the Earth. The US space agency's Psyche mission is a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Also read | Researchers design 'flying saucer' that can levitate on moon, asteroids Wall Street research firm Bernstein notes that a big asteroid called 16 Psyche, measuring some 200 km, may contain 17 million billion tones of nickel-iron, enough to satisfy mankind’s current demand for millions of years. Deep within rocky, terrestrial planets, including Earth, scientists infer the presence of metallic cores, but these lie unreachably far below the planets' rocky mantles and crusts. As we cannot see or measure Earth's core directly, Psyche offers a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets. Also read | Scientists discover hidden passageway beneath Panama through which wind from Earth's middle layer blows The Psyche spacecraft will give us more than a glimpse of our deep past; we could see the beginnings of our technological future. Instead of traditional rocket fuel, Psyche will gradually build up speed using ion propulsion. Electricity from the space probe’s solar panels will power a new type of thruster, called a Hall thruster, for the first time in deep space. Psyche will take a swing past Mars for a gravitational push during its 3.5-year cruise to the asteroid, then spend 21 months measuring and mapping, gradually tightening its orbit until it passes just above the surface. The real value in asteroid mining is for further space travel, and so hydrogen and oxygen reserves are as attractive as any metal. The energy released when hydrogen and oxygen combine to make water can power rockets. The presence of both elements in compounds found on asteroids offers scope to set up space factories to make fuel for missions to Mars and beyond as well as offering “pit stops” to extend the lives of satellites. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA to launch mission to massive, metal-rich asteroid called 'Psyche'

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Laser message reaches Earth from nearly 10 million miles away in space

NASA to launch mission to massive, metal-rich asteroid called 'Psyche'