NASA has finished a two-year experiment that proved lasers can send vast amounts of data across deep space, potentially transforming future missions to the Moon and Mars. The Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system, launched on the Psyche spacecraft in October 2023, ended testing in 2025 after 65 sessions.
Over that time, it transmitted 13.6 terabits of data from as far as 307 million miles away, more than the average distance between Earth and Mars.
The test showed that lasers can deliver data 10 to 100 times faster than traditional radio. At its peak, DSOC sent signals at 267 megabits per second, matching or even exceeding home internet speeds. This breakthrough makes it possible for astronauts on Mars to send back high-definition video and for robotic missions to return enormous datasets.
DSOC relied on a flight laser transceiver aboard Psyche, a 3-kilowatt uplink laser at NASA’s Table Mountain facility in California, and a 200-inch telescope at Palomar Observatory. The uplink laser guided Psyche to aim its own beam back to Earth, where sensitive detectors captured faint light signals.
Achieving this required precise pointing since both Earth and Psyche moved rapidly in space while light took several minutes to travel.
The system began returning results quickly. Just a month after launch, it sent data from 19 million miles away, 80 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. By December 2023, it had streamed ultra-high-definition video across that span. In late 2024, it set a new record by sending data from 307 million miles, farther than Mars’ maximum distance.
NASA also experimented with a hybrid setup at the Goldstone antenna complex, combining radio and laser reception. Engineers used an array of seven small mirrors to collect faint optical signals while keeping radio capability as a backup. By linking Palomar’s large telescope with a smaller one at Table Mountain, they further improved the system’s ability to detect weak signals.
Engineers faced difficulties along the way, including weather interruptions, California wildfires, and interference from space radiation. The team adjusted the system to maintain lock on Psyche’s beam and process extremely faint data. These tests showed that the technology is durable enough for real-world missions.
One of the earliest transmissions captured public attention: a short video of a cat named Taters beamed from deep space in 2023. Beyond its playful appeal, the test showed that the system could handle complex video files with ease.
The success of DSOC is expected to feed directly into future programs. Artemis missions to the lunar south pole will need faster data links, and human missions to Mars will depend on robust communications for science and safety.
Beyond NASA, commercial satellite operators may adopt lasers as demand grows for higher bandwidth. Europe’s EDRS network already uses laser links between satellites, pointing to wider use across the industry. By closing out the DSOC experiment, NASA has demonstrated that high-speed laser communication is no longer a distant goal but a working system, ready to expand the reach of future exploration.