רדיו frequency based deep שטח communication faces constraints due to low bandwidth and increasing need of high data transmission rates. Laser or optical based system has potential to break the communication constraints. נאס"א has tested laser communications against extreme distances and demonstrated high-bandwidth communications in deep שטח when it beamed to Earth an ultra-high-definition video via laser from a distance of 32 million km, from Psyche spacecraft which is currently travelling through deep שטח to metal-rich asteroid Psyche located in the asteroid belt between מַאְדִים and Jupiter. This was first demonstration of optical communications beyond the Moon. Deep מֶרחָב Network (DSN) antenna received both רָדִיוֹ frequency and near-infrared laser signals.
עָמוֹק שטח communication is mostly conducted using radio frequencies. However, radio frequency-based system cannot meet current and future communication needs of שטח sector in view of limited bandwidth and ever-increasing demand of high data transmission rates.
On the other hand, laser or optical based communication offer many advantages in terms of large bandwidths, high data rate links and low SWaP (size, weight and power) terminals. It has the potential to enhance data rates 10 to 100 times the capacity of most sophisticated radio systems currently in use thus can break the communication constraints. Hence, the imperative to advance optical communications for high-capacity deep שטח communications capable of meeting future interplanetary data transmission needs.
עָמוֹק מֶרחָב Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment is a technology demonstration payload onboard Psyche spacecraft which is currently travelling through deep שטח to metal-rich אסטרואיד פסיכה ממוקמת בחגורת האסטרואידים בין מַאְדִים and Jupiter. In December 2023, it demonstrated high-bandwidth communications in deep שטח when it beamed to Earth an ultra-high-definition video via laser from 32 million km in deep space. This was first demonstration of optical communications beyond the Moon.
The Deep מֶרחָב Network (DSN) is network of facilities located in different parts of the world to communicate with faraway spacecrafts exploring solar system. An experimental antenna of this network received both radio and laser signals beamed from Psyche spacecraft in deep space. This suggests that DSN antennas which currently communicate with spacecrafts via radio signals could be retrofitted for laser communications.
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הפניות:
- Karmous S., et al 2022. כיצד תקשורת אופטית יכולה לעצב את עתידה של תקשורת בחלל העמוק? סקר. Preprint arXiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2212.04933
- רובינסון BS, 2023. תקשורת אופטית לחקר החלל והמדע. כנס תקשורת סיבים אופטיים 2023.
- ההדגמה הטכנולוגית של נאס"א מזרימה סרטון ראשון מהחלל העמוק באמצעות לייזר. פורסם ב-18 בדצמבר 2023. זמין ב https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-demo-missions-program/deep-space-optical-communications-dsoc/nasas-tech-demo-streams-first-video-from-deep-space-via-laser/
- נאס"א. חדשות - האנטנה הניסויית החדשה של נאס"א עוקבת אחר לייזר חלל עמוק. פורסם ב-08 בפברואר 2024. זמין בכתובת https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/deep-space-network/nasas-new-experimental-antenna-tracks-deep-space-laser/
- תקשורת אופטית בחלל עמוק (DSOC) https://www.nasa.gov/mission/deep-space-optical-communications-dsoc/
- מיסיון פסיכה. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
- רשת החלל העמוק של נאס"א (DSN) https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dsn
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