Usually when NASA releases a video beamed from space you expect to see spiral galaxies or colliding stars. However, recently the space organization sent a video of some of humanity’s greatest achievements 242 million miles across the Solar System.
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00:00Recently, NASA sent this video streaming some 242 million miles across the solar system
00:10from a spacecraft back to Earth.
00:12But why?
00:13Well, it's not about the video itself, but rather the method by which it traveled, namely
00:17a new form of laser messaging called Deep Space Optical Communications.
00:21This is the second video NASA's Psyche spacecraft beamed back to researchers, showing 48 seconds
00:27worth of humanity's greatest achievements.
00:29The video was sent at a sustained 6.25 megabits per second in Ultra HD, and included some
00:35information about the spacecraft's orbital path and some other technical data related
00:39to the laser communication test.
00:40They admit that this was considerably slower than their Phase 1 test, where this video
00:44of one of the researchers' cats was transmitted at some 267 megabits per second.
00:50However, the new video was sent at 23 times the distance of the first, which is the same
00:55distance as Mars, when it's at its furthest position from Earth.
00:58Deep Space Optical Communications works by first setting up a beacon wherever you're
01:02sending the information, so that the sender can aim the laser.
01:04A spacecraft then beams its signal to that spot, using light rather than radio waves,
01:09allowing for faster speeds and more information within those communications.