Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechNASAs introduction of a hybrid antenna into the DSN marks a substantial advancement in area interaction, making it possible for faster information transmission and supporting the needs of future exploration.Capable of getting both radio frequency and optical signals, the DSNs hybrid antenna has tracked and decoded the downlink laser from DSOC, aboard NASAs Psyche mission.A speculative antenna has gotten both radio frequency and near-infrared laser signals from NASAs Psyche spacecraft as it takes a trip through deep area. On Jan. 1, 2024, the antenna downlinked a group picture that had been published to DSOC before Psyches launch.Now that Goldstones speculative hybrid antenna has shown that both radio and laser signals can be received synchronously by the very same antenna, purpose-built hybrid antennas (like the one portrayed here in an artists principle) might one day become a reality. The tech demo recently streamed the very first ultra-high-definition video from deep space at record-setting bitrates.Retrofitting radio frequency antennas with optical terminals and constructing purpose-built hybrid antennas might be a solution to the current lack of a dedicated optical ground facilities.
Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechNASAs intro of a hybrid antenna into the DSN marks a significant development in space communication, enabling faster data transmission and supporting the demands of future exploration.Capable of receiving both radio frequency and optical signals, the DSNs hybrid antenna has actually tracked and translated the downlink laser from DSOC, aboard NASAs Psyche mission.An experimental antenna has actually gotten both radio frequency and near-infrared laser signals from NASAs Psyche spacecraft as it travels through deep area. On Jan. 1, 2024, the antenna downlinked a group picture that had been submitted to DSOC before Psyches launch.Now that Goldstones experimental hybrid antenna has actually proved that both radio and laser signals can be received synchronously by the exact same antenna, purpose-built hybrid antennas (like the one portrayed here in an artists principle) could one day become a truth. As the laser photons show up at the antenna, each mirror shows the photons and exactly redirects them into a high-exposure cam attached to the antennas sub-reflector suspended above the center of the dish.The laser signal collected by the camera is then transferred through an optical fiber that feeds into a cryogenically cooled semiconducting nanowire single photon detector. Psyche will be at that range in June on its method to the primary asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter to investigate the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.The seven-segment reflector on the antenna is a proof of idea for a scaled-up and more effective version with 64 segments– the equivalent of a 26-foot (8-meter) aperture telescope– that could be used in the future.During a test of the experimental antenna, this picture of the task team at JPL was downlinked by the DSOC transceiver aboard Psyche. The tech demo recently streamed the first ultra-high-definition video from deep space at record-setting bitrates.Retrofitting radio frequency antennas with optical terminals and building purpose-built hybrid antennas could be an option to the current absence of a dedicated optical ground facilities.
