In a groundbreaking demonstration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has transmitted a high-definition video of a cat, named Taters, from the depths of space back to Earth. The 15-second clip, sent via laser technology, showcases the orange tabby chasing a laser beam.
Taters, owned by a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employee, remained on Earth while the footage traveled an impressive 19 million miles, approximately 80 times the Earth-to-Moon distance. The video was part of NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) mission, testing laser tech to enhance communication with more remote areas of the solar system. The successful demonstration highlights the potential for improved data transmission in future interplanetary missions.
The video was uploaded to a spacecraft launched by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, and despite the vast distance, it reached Earth faster than most broadband internet connections. The connection from the Palomar observatory to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was slower than the signal transmitting the video from space. NASA’s DSOC mission explores technologies for higher bandwidth content transmission over great distances, addressing challenges posed by radio frequencies in transmitting high-quality images and videos from deep space. The success of this technology opens new possibilities for future exploration and science goals, transforming communication during interplanetary missions.
Watch the video on [YouTube] https://youtu.be/GvJtVOmFs5Q .