{"id":475632,"date":"2023-06-28T11:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=475632"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:23:07","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T17:23:07","slug":"nasas-laser-communications-relay-a-year-of-experimentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/tech-demonstration\/nasas-laser-communications-relay-a-year-of-experimentation\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Laser Communications Relay: A Year of Experimentation"},"content":{"rendered":"<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\tNASA\u2019s Laser Communications Relay: A Year of Experimentation\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 fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"LCRD communicating over laser links to the International Space Station and Earth.\" 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\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?resize=600,337 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/lcrd_1920x1080_notext_0.png?resize=900,506 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s first two-way laser relay system completed its first year of experiments on June 28 \u2013 a milestone for a game-changing technology that could be the future for sending and receiving data from space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2021\/laser-communications-relay-demonstration-6-things-you-need-to-know\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)<\/a> uses infrared light, or invisible lasers, to transmit and receive signals rather than radio wave systems conventionally used on spacecraft. Infrared light\u2019s tight wavelengths allow space missions to pack significantly more data \u2013 10 to 100 times more \u2013 into a single transmission. More data means more discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, at the halfway point in its experimentation phase, LCRD has shown laser communications\u2019 significant advantages over traditional radio wave systems.<\/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-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A quad like graphic showing the Benefits of Laser Communications. In order: Efficient, Lighter, Secure, Flexible.\" 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\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image-89.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The benefits of laser communications: more efficient, lighter systems, increased security, and more flexible ground systems.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA \/ Dave Ryan<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Located in geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above Earth, LCRD is currently acting as an <a href=\"https:\/\/esc.gsfc.nasa.gov\/projects\/LCRD?tab=opportunities%20for%20experimenters\" rel=\"noopener\">experiment platform<\/a> for NASA, other government agencies, academia, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2021\/exploring-together-nasa-and-industry-embrace-laser-communications\/\" rel=\"noopener\">commercial<\/a> companies to test laser communications capabilities. After its experiment phase, there is an opportunity for the mission to become an operational relay. This would mean that future missions using laser communications would not need a clear line of sight to Earth and would simply send their data to LCRD, which would then beam it down to Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LCRD, and laser communications in general, was born out of a need for more efficient data transmission to and from space. LCRD was launched to test and refine this technology through a partnership between NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)<\/a> program and NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/home\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Technology Mission Directorate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo far, we\u2019ve published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spiedigitallibrary.org\/conference-proceedings-of-spie\/12413\/1241303\/Early-results-from-NASAs-laser-communications-relay-demonstration-LCRD-experiment\/10.1117\/12.2655481.full?SSO=1\" rel=\"noopener\">first<\/a> papers about early findings from the experiments, but we plan to publish more lessons learned so that the aerospace industry can learn from this technology demonstration alongside NASA,\u201d said Dave Israel, LCRD\u2019s principal investigator at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cEarly results have been outstanding, and seeing massive amounts of data come down in a fraction of the time is truly extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these experiments include studying atmospheric impact on laser signals. While laser communications can normally provide increased data rates, humidity, clouds, heavy winds, and other atmospheric disturbances can disrupt laser signals as they enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of the things that surprised us was how weather affected experiment operations. We typically build our ground stations in remote, high-altitude locations with clear weather conditions \u2013 LCRD\u2019s are in Hawaii and California,\u201d said Rick Butler, LCRD experiments manager at Goddard. \u201cThe historic rain and snowfall in Southern California this year provided us an opportunity to really understand the impacts of weather on signal availability. This also reinforced our understanding that more ground stations mean more options for signal availability.\u201d<\/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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ogs-2_hawaii.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Optical Ground Station 2 in Haleakal\u00c4, Hawaii\" 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-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: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration\u2019s (LCRD) Optical Ground Station 2 (OGS-2) in Haleakal\u00c4, Hawaii. <strong>Credits: NASA<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Additionally, the weather experiment allowed engineers to enhance NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2021\/getting-nasa-data-to-the-ground-with-lasers\" rel=\"noopener\">adaptive optics<\/a> systems, which are integrated into the ground stations and use a sensor to measure and correct distortion on the signal that\u2019s coming down from the spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another experiment was conducted with the Aerospace Corporation, who built an LCRD-compatible terminal to send and receive data with LCRD. This experiment confirmed LCRD\u2019s ability to work with external users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineers also used LCRD as an opportunity to test networking capabilities like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/engineering\/technology\/delay_disruption_tolerant_networking\" rel=\"noopener\">delay\/disruption tolerant networking<\/a> (DTN) over laser links. DTN empowers missions with unparalleled connectivity by storing and forwarding data at points along a network to ensure critical information reaches its destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laser communications systems also can enable more precise navigation capabilities. An ongoing navigation experiment has shown engineers can receive more precise location data over a laser link than over standard radio waves. This means that the laser communications system can also serve as a platform for improved timing and location data \u2014 a critical part of GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTechnology demonstrations like LCRD allow NASA and its partners to implement new capabilities and test them in an operational scenario,\u201d said Trudy Kortes, director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/tdm\/main\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">technology demonstrations<\/a> in NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency\u2019s headquarters in Washington. \u201cThis enables engineers to really get a feel for a technology\u2019s potential and see what future applications could look like. It\u2019s why testing operations in a relevant environment is so critical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With systems like LCRD proving the capabilities of laser communications, future science and human exploration missions that adopt the technology could be capable of transmitting more data back to Earth. As science missions\u2019 instrumentation advances and gathers more data, the onboard communications systems must also evolve to transmit this data to researchers. Payloads like LCRD are showing how laser communications systems can benefit space missions and help them achieve their science objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LCRD is one of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2022\/the-future-of-laser-communications\" rel=\"noopener\">series of missions<\/a> to demonstrate laser communications technology. The agency is continuing its infusion efforts with future terminals going on the International Space Station, the Artemis II Orion spacecraft that will travel around the Moon, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/tdm\/dsoc\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Deep Space Optical Communications<\/a> experiment aboard the Psyche spacecraft, which will test laser communications farther from Earth than ever before as Psyche makes its way to its asteroid destination in deep space.<\/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-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"LLCD, LCRD, TBIRD, DSOC, ILLUMA-T, and O2O in a roadmap\" 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\/11\/updated-optical.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/updated-optical.png?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\">NASA’s Laser Communications Roadmap – proving the technology’s validity in a variety of regimes. <\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA \/ Dave Ryan<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>With a year of successful experimentation completed, the LCRD team is now prepping for the late 2023 launch of NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/goddard\/2022\/laser-terminal-bound-for-space-station-arrives-at-nasa-goddard-for-testing\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal<\/a>, or ILLUMA-T. Once on the space station, ILLUMA-T will send experiment data to LCRD, which will then relay it to the ground. This will allow NASA to test low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit laser communications and showcase the benefit of LCRD\u2019s relay capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA is infusing laser communications technologies to provide missions with enhanced communications capabilities. Lasers communications enable missions to send back more data in a single link. More data means more discoveries.Credits: NASA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>LCRD is a NASA payload aboard the Department of Defense\u2019s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6). STPSat-6, part of the Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission, launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA is operating STPSat-6 for the Department of Defense.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>LCRD is led by Goddard and in partnership with NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California 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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>By <a href=\"mailto:katherine.s.schauer@nasa.gov\">Katherine Schauer<\/a> NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Banner Image: <\/strong>An artistic visualization of NASA\u2019s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration communicating over laser links. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA\u2019s first two-way laser relay system completed its first year of experiments on June 28 \u2013 a milestone for a game-changing technology that could be the future for sending and receiving data from space. Now at the halfway point in its experimentation phase, the system has shown laser communications\u2019 significant advantages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":476100,"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":[3207,2864,2788,3335],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[10602],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA\u2019s Laser Communications Relay: A Year of Experimentation","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/tech-demonstration\/nasas-laser-communications-relay-a-year-of-experimentation\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/tech-demonstration\/nasas-laser-communications-relay-a-year-of-experimentation\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image_89_0.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image_89_0.png"},"articleSection":"Missions","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":["NASA Directorates","Space Technology Mission Directorate","Technology Demonstration Missions Program","Laser Communications Relay","Marshall Space Flight Center","Technology Demonstration"],"dateCreated":"2023-06-28T15:23:00Z","datePublished":"2023-06-28T15:23:00Z","dateModified":"2023-08-29T17:23:07Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA\u2019s Laser Communications Relay: A Year of Experimentation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/tech-demonstration\/nasas-laser-communications-relay-a-year-of-experimentation\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image_89_0.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-06-28T15:23:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Directorates,Space Technology Mission Directorate,Technology Demonstration Missions Program,Laser Communications Relay,Marshall Space Flight Center,Technology Demonstration\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Katherine Schauer\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":6,"time_ago":"12 months","featured_image":{"id":476100,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/microsoftteams-image_89_0.png","title":"microsoftteams-image_89_0","alt":"A quad like graphic showing the Benefits of Laser Communications. In order: Efficient, Lighter, Secure, Flexible.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475632"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475632"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":499044,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475632\/revisions\/499044"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475632"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=475632"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=475632"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=475632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}