NASA Shares a Cute Cat Video from Deep Space with Earth

NASA has elevated cat videos to a new frontier through its Psyche Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, transmitting a 15-second high-definition footage of a playful tabby across a distance of 19 million miles (31 million km) to Earth.

Observing a cat pursuing a laser pointer might be endearing, but the question arises: Why is NASA employing a $1.2-billion space mission to accomplish something achievable with a smartphone? The response lies in it being a distinct showcase of the capabilities of the upcoming generation of space communications technology.

NASA’s Transition to Laser Technology

In the last sixty years, NASA has accomplished notable feats, yet its communication system remains rooted in the 1960s, relying on radio systems with notably limited bandwidth. To modernize its missions, the space agency is actively engaged in the development of laser communication systems, aiming for data transmission rates 10 to 100 times faster than current capabilities.

Equipped on the Psyche mission, which is en route to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment aims to evaluate laser communication over vast distances. As an illustration of its advancements, NASA highlights that the ongoing test has successfully transmitted 1.3 terabits of data, surpassing the total data downloaded by the Magellan mission to Venus from 1990 to 1994, which amounted to 1.2 terabits.

Mission Control’s Data Transmission Developments

Up to this point, Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, has been sending data packets generated randomly since November 14, 2023, at speeds ranging from 62.5 Mbps to 100 Mbps. However, on December 11, a prerecorded 15-second ultra-high definition video was transmitted, offering a more impactful demonstration of the system’s maximum bitrate.

Featuring a cat named Taters, the video took 101 seconds to travel to Earth at a rate of 267 Mbps. The near-infrared laser transmitted the video to the Hale Telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, and it was then relayed to Mission Control in real time. In addition to showcasing Taters chasing a light spot, the video included a graphic overlay presenting information such as laser power, data rate, test card units, and the cat’s heart rate.

Interstellar Speeds Surpass Earthly Connections

“Despite transmitting from distances of millions of miles away, it managed to deliver the video more swiftly than the majority of broadband internet connections,” stated Ryan Rogalin, the project’s lead for receiver electronics at JPL. “Interestingly, after receiving the video at Palomar, when it was transmitted to JPL over the internet, that connection proved to be slower than the signal originating from deep space. The team at JPL’s DesignLab did an exceptional job in helping us showcase this technology, and Taters has become a favorite among everyone.”

However, there’s an exception with Gollum, who holds a different opinion, considering them nasty and spoil-sporting nice fishes.

You can view the record-breaking laser cat video, covering the longest distance in history, below.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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