NASA Receives Signals From Space 140 Million Miles Away

New Delhi: In a significant achievement for NASA, Earth has received a signal from the depths of space. While many may speculate it to be extraterrestrial in origin, the space agency has clarified that the signal was sent by its Psyche spacecraft, launched in October 2023. The signal was received approximately 140 million miles away, which is equivalent to 1.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

The spacecraft ‘Psyche’ was launched with an adjective to unravel the mysteries of a metal-rich asteroid, also named Psyche. The mission's primary objective is to inspect the composition of this asteroid ‘Psyche’.

The spacecraft is equipped with a feature called the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system which is designed explicitly to transmit laser beams which can cover vast cosmic distances.

This technological marvel has made a breakthrough which could have major implications for the future of space travel. This achievement has opened doors to revolutionising interplanetary communication.

The space agency expects harnessing optical communications for future missions, anticipating high-speed data transmission, and real-time streaming of high-definition imagery and video, crucial for humanity's aspirations of venturing to Mars and beyond.

Meawhile, Meera Srinivasan, leading the Psyche mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, expressed joy over the breakthrough achievement.

Besides, Psyche successfully downlinked approximately 10 minutes of duplicated spacecraft data on April 8. This data transmission flaunted the seamless integration of optical communications with the spacecraft's radio frequency communication system.

The implications of this accomplishment resonate far beyond the limits of our immediate cosmic neighbourhood. It enhances our understanding of distant celestial bodies, paving the way for future endeavours in space exploration. By harnessing advanced communication technologies like DSOC, humanity inches closer to realising ambitious goals such as crewed missions to Mars, where real-time communication and data transmission are first and foremost.