One of the major problems in this hi-tech world is the speed of the internet. It is slows down or shuts down. NASA has come up with a possible solution.
NASA has decided to launch a space LASER that will provide internet 100 times faster than current broadband. If possible, this dream will come true within two years.
A powerful laser will transmit data between the Earth and the International Space Station. The space agency is hoping to establish laser links at a rate of over one gigabit per second. This will pave way for 3D video from space. This will also enable high definition remote robotic exploration of other celestial bodies.
NASA with the help of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), will understand the best ways to operate laser communications systems. This will also enable much higher data rates for connections between spacecrafts and Earth. The LCRD will help downloading scientific data at higher speed. It will also allow astronauts send better video messages back home.
Source:NASA
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland will launch LCRD, which is designed to function for between two and five years. The Table Mountain, California and Hawaii will house the two ground terminals equipped with laser modems.
The payload will fly into the orbit on a commercial satellite. Mission operators at ground stations will test its invisible, near-infrared lasers, beaming data to and from the satellite as they refine the transmission process, study different encoding techniques and also perfect tracking systems. They also will study the effects of clouds and other disruptions on communications.
They will launch the LCRD in summer 2019. Currently, a terminal is also being designed for the International Space Station, which will be launched in 2021.
This new connection will hopefully bring more news from the space out there, within seconds and surprise the scientists and the citizens.
