{"id":61527,"date":"2021-10-27T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-474955"},"modified":"2023-07-26T16:32:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T20:32:10","slug":"getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>NASA launches satellites, rovers, and orbiters to investigate humanity\u2019s place in the <a href=\"https:\/\/solarsystem.nasa.gov\/resources\/285\/the-milky-way-galaxy\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Milky Way<\/a>. When these missions reach their destinations, their science instruments capture images, videos, and valuable insights about the cosmos. Communications infrastructure in space and on the ground enables the data collected by these missions to reach Earth. Without ground stations to receive it, the extraordinary data captured by these missions would be stuck in space, unable to reach scientists and researchers on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the dawn of space exploration, NASA missions have primarily relied on radio frequency communications for this transfer of information. But this fall, NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2021\/laser-communications-empowering-more-data-than-ever-before\">Laser Communications Relay Demonstration<\/a> (LCRD) will launch and showcase laser communications \u2014 a revolutionary way of communicating data from space to the ground.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LCRD\u2019s ground stations, known as Optical Ground Station (OGS) -1 and -2, are located on <a href=\"https:\/\/tmf.jpl.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Table Mountain, California<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2020\/new-ground-station-brings-laser-communications-closer-to-reality\">Haleakal\u0101, Hawaii<\/a>. These remote, high-altitude locations were chosen for their clear weather conditions. While laser communications can provide increased data transfer rates, atmospheric disturbances \u2014 such as clouds and turbulence \u2014 can disrupt laser signals as they enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LCRD's Optical Ground Stations\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KcBQclXOj7Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LCRD\u2019s ground stations, Optical Ground Station -1 and -2, will enable mission success.<br>Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe way the local meteorology works, there is minimal dust and less atmospheric turbulence at the top of the mountain, which is great for laser communications,\u201d said Ron Miller from NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\">Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a> in Greenbelt, Maryland, and former development lead for OGS-2 in Hawaii. \u201cIt\u2019s about 10,000 feet up, so you\u2019re above a lot of the atmosphere and weather that occurs below the summit. It\u2019s very common to have a nice sunny day at the top and be cloudy around the midpoint of the mountain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA communications engineers selected these sites because their weather patterns typically complement each other. When OGS-1 in California is cloudy, OGS-2 in Hawaii tends to be clear \u2013 and vice versa. To monitor cloud coverage and determine which station is to be used, commercial partner Northrop Grumman provided an atmospheric monitoring station that observes weather conditions at Haleakal\u0101. This monitoring station runs nearly autonomously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. OGS-1 has similar weather monitoring capabilities at Table Mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Optical Ground Station 1 on top of a building in Table Mountain, California.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-1.jpg?resize=900,506 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Optical Ground Station 1 in Table Mountain, California. <\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Despite the usually clear weather at these locations, NASA engineers must still work to reduce the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the data received by OGS-1 and OGS-2. To do this, both stations leverage the power of adaptive optics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAn adaptive optics system uses a sensor to measure the distortion to the electromagnetic signal that\u2019s coming down from the spacecraft,\u201d said Tom Roberts, the manager of OGS-1 development and operations at NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/a> in Southern California. \u201cIf we can measure that distortion, then we can send it through a deformable mirror that changes its shape to take out those aberrations that the atmosphere induces. That allows us to have a nice, pristine signal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While OGS-2 was developed specifically for the LCRD mission, OGS-1 is based at JPL\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov\/optical-communications-laboratory\" rel=\"noopener\">Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory<\/a>, which prior to LCRD was used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/opticalcommunications\/llcd\/\">previous laser communications demonstrations<\/a>. To get OGS-1 ready for LCRD support, engineers had to upgrade the ground station, modifying the system to bring it up to a higher standard. One such upgrade involved replacing the mirrors to have better reflectivity and higher laser thresholds so that the telescope can receive and send laser signals to and from LCRD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to mission support, LCRD will spend about two years conducting tests and <a href=\"https:\/\/esc.gsfc.nasa.gov\/projects\/LCRD?tab=opportunities%20for%20experimenters\" rel=\"noopener\">experiments<\/a>. During this time, OGS-1 and OGS-2 will act as simulated users, sending data from one station to LCRD then down to the next. These tests will allow the aerospace community to learn from LCRD, and further refine the technology for future implementation of laser communications systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the experimental phase, LCRD will support in-space missions. Missions, like a terminal on the International Space Station, will send data to LCRD, which will then beam it to OGS-1 or OGS-2.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/microsoftteams-image-77.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">LCRD communicating with ILLUMA-T over laser links. <\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA \/ Dave Ryan<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>LCRD is a hosted payload on the Department of Defense\u2019s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6). While LCRD is a laser communications payload, the spacecraft will still have a radio frequency connection to the ground. The Payload to Ground Link Terminal (PGLT) located at the White Sands Complex near Las Cruces, New Mexico, will communicate tracking, telemetry, and command data to the spacecraft over radio waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA manages LCRD\u2019s ground elements \u2013 OGS-1, OGS-2, and PGLT \u2013 out of LCRD\u2019s mission operations center at White Sands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe mission operations center is the central brains of the LCRD system,\u201d said Miriam Wennersten, LCRD\u2019s ground segment manager of Goddard. \u201cIt coordinates the configuration of the payload and all three ground stations at the same time, scheduling the various optical services and links.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without ground infrastructure, extraordinary science and exploration data would not make it to researchers on Earth. LCRD\u2019s ground segment will be critical to the success of the mission, providing engineers with the opportunity to test and refine laser communications. In turn, LCRD will usher in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2021\/nasa-laser-communications-innovations-a-timeline\">new era of laser communications<\/a>, where missions will have unprecedented access to insights gleaned from satellites and probes in space.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-social-media grid-container grid-container-block nasa-gb-align- width-full maxw-full margin-y-0 padding-y-5 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-0 font-weight-bold hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-social-media-links\">\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center padding-y-1\" id=\"social-facebook\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"circle-4 minw-4 display-flex flex-align-center flex-justify-center\" style=\"background-color: #4267B2;\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-labelledby=\"facebookIconTitle\"><title id=\"facebookIconTitle\">Facebook logo<\/title><path d=\"M9 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M84.531,113.093c-15.749,0-28.563-12.812-28.563-28.561 c0-15.75,12.813-28.563,28.563-28.563s28.563,12.813,28.563,28.563C113.094,100.281,100.28,113.093,84.531,113.093z\"\/> <path d=\"M129.921,28.251c-2.89,0-5.729,1.17-7.77,3.22c-2.051,2.04-3.23,4.88-3.23,7.78c0,2.891,1.18,5.73,3.23,7.78 c2.04,2.04,4.88,3.22,7.77,3.22c2.9,0,5.73-1.18,7.78-3.22c2.05-2.05,3.22-4.89,3.22-7.78c0-2.9-1.17-5.74-3.22-7.78 C135.661,29.421,132.821,28.251,129.921,28.251z\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-social-media-items padding-left-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/NASA\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASA on instagram\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASA<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/NASAGoddard\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASAGoddard on instagram\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASAGoddard<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center padding-y-1\" id=\"social-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"circle-4 minw-4 display-flex flex-align-center flex-justify-center\" style=\"background-color: #0072b1;\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-labelledby=\"linkedinIconTitle\"><title id=\"linkedinIconTitle\">Linkedin logo<\/title><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-social-media-items padding-left-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/NASA\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASA on linkedin\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASA<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/NASAGoddard\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASAGoddard on linkedin\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASAGoddard<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>STPSat-6, part of the Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission, will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida no earlier than November 22, 2021. STP is managed by the United States Space Force\u2019s Space Systems Command. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>LCRD is led by Goddard and in partnership with JPL and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. LCRD is funded through NASA\u2019s Technology Demonstration Missions program, part of the Space Technology Mission Directorate, and the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Goddard manages OGS-2, while JPL manages OGS-1.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Image of NASA\u2019s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration\u2019s (LCRD) Optical Ground Station 2 (OGS-2) in Haleakal\u0101, Hawaii.\u00a0<strong>Credit:<\/strong>\u00a0NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-about-the-author nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-6 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-about-the-author\"><div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-x-0 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black padding-top-3\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h3 class=\"heading-14\">About the Author<\/h3><\/div><\/div><div class=\"grid-row grid-container padding-x-0 maxw-widescreen\"><div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6 desktop:padding-right-9\"><div class=\"grid-row\"><div class=\"hds-author-thumbnail mobile:circle-6 mobile:maxw-6 circle-card maxw-card thumbnail margin-right-2 desktop:margin-right-5\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"10rem\" height=\"10rem\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"low\" class=\"avatar avatar-300 photo medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cropped-microsoftteams-image-14-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Katherine Schauer\"><\/div><div class=\"grid-col\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-29 line-height-sm\">Katherine Schauer<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"padding-y-2\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"desktop:grid-col-6 desktop:padding-right-9\"><p class=\"margin-top-0\">Katherine Schauer is a writer for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office and covers emerging technologies, commercialization efforts, exploration activities, and more.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-article-hero-header nasa-gb-align-full bg-carbon-90 width-full maxw-full color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-hero-header\">\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full maxw-full minh-tablet grid-container minh-tablet flex-column padding-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-foreground-wrapper display-flex flex-direction-column\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block margin-top-auto width-full maxw-desktop-lg padding-y-9 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-3 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"z-400 grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-7 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label color-spacesuit-white margin-bottom-2\">6 Min Read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"heading-41 line-height-md color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-left mobile-skrim-top z-200\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"Optical Ground Station 2 in Hawaii\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"padding-y-3 padding-x-3\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"hds-caption maxw-mobile desktop:padding-x-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0 color-carbon-30\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><figcaption>NASA's Optical Ground Station 2 in Hawaii. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-credits color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Credits: <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NASA<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LCRD\u2019s ground stations, known as Optical Ground Station (OGS) -1 and -2, are located on Table Mountain, California, and Haleakal\u0101, Hawaii. These remote, high-altitude locations were chosen for their clear weather conditions. While laser communications can provide increased data transfer rates, atmospheric disturbances \u2014 such as clouds and turbulence \u2014 can disrupt laser signals as they enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":67758,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2857,2860,3207,3315,2661],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Getting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katherine Schauer"}],"creator":["Katherine Schauer"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Goddard Space Flight Center","Jet Propulsion Laboratory","Laser Communications Relay","Space Communications & Navigation Program"],"dateCreated":"2021-10-27T21:00:00Z","datePublished":"2021-10-27T21:00:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T20:32:10Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Getting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-10-27T21:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Goddard Space Flight Center,Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Laser Communications Relay,Space Communications & Navigation Program\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Katherine Schauer\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":6,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":67758,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg","title":"ogs-2_hawaii","alt":"Optical Ground Station 2 in Hawaii","caption":"NASA's Optical Ground Station 2 in Hawaii. 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