The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) is a NASA mission that will test laser communication in space for extremely long distances. Mission & Trajectory Design

[6]:65, By April 2020, after further delays and cost overruns, it was expected to launch in Jan 2021, as a payload on a U.S. Air Force Space Test Program satellite (STPSat 6, part of STP-3 launch). The mission also attempts to examine the abundance and variability of dust particles that may be present in the exosphere. [2], The LCRD mission was selected for development in 2011, with launch on board a commercial satellite scheduled for 2019. Most habitable planets may be completely covered in water, Nearby 'super-Earth' may be our best shot yet at finding alien life, Facebook details its plans for a brain-computer interface, Alphabet starts collecting health info to better predict disease, T-Mobile’s TVision is a cable-cutting package for its mobile customers, Researchers 3D-printed a cell-sized tugboat, This is Harley-Davidson's first electric bicycle, PlayStation 5 first look: At home with Sony’s new console, AfterShokz OpenComm is a bone conduction headset for the Zoom generation, Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, LunarAtmosphereAndDustEnvironmentExplorer. Also, LADEE is carrying an experimental Laser Communications System to demonstrate high-data rate communications at large distances to lay the foundation for future Deep Space Laser Communications Systems.

LADEE / LLCD Mission Parameters 2 hr •LADEE orbital period ~ 2 hrs –Visible from earth for about half of orbit •Communication links available when LADEE is visible –Duplex phase-locked communications required for LLCD TOF •Lasercom intervals limited to ~20 minutes by power and temperature –100 passes, 135 intervals of duplex Scientists want to study the lunar atmosphere in an undisturbed condition before any significant human or robotic activity disturbs the fragile exosphere. Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) components integrated onto the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft. LADEE is a small spacecraft launching on a Minotaur V rocket in September 2013. LADEE's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) pulsed laser system conducted a successful test on October 18, 2013, transmitting data between the spacecraft and its ground station on Earth at a distance of 385,000 kilometres (239,000 mi). It's not just about upping the data rate, though, as other challenges include keeping that signal good through conditions your ISP (thankfully) won't normally have to consider, such as pin-point accuracy over 238,900 miles while moving through space.

Video Gallery All rights reserved. LADEE FSW Utilization of Lunar Laser Communication Bandwidth Douglas Forman Millennium Engineering and Integration Company (MEI) LADEE FSW Payload I/F Developer NASA-Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA Craig Pires – LADEE C&DH Lead Scott Christa – … Archived Launch Coverage © 2020 Verizon Media. Spacecraft Information Also, LADEE is carrying an experimental Laser Communications System to demonstrate high-data rate communications at large distances to lay the foundation for future Deep Space Laser Communications Systems. In addition to these scientific objectives, LADEE serves as a testbed for new technology – being the first spacecraft based on NASA’s Modular Common Spacecraft Bus that is expected to carry a variety of payloads in the future.

LADEE is a small spacecraft launching on a Minotaur V rocket in September 2013. Using a suite of three instruments, LADEE studies the density, composition and spatial as well as temporal variability of the lunar exosphere to probe its origin and study its response to phenomena like solar wind. Gallery Unlike previous one-way demonstrations, the LCDD uses an infrared beam -- in the same way that many land-based fiber networks do -- that can be received on Earth by one of three telescopes located in Mexico, California or Spain. LADEE's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) pulsed laser system conducted a successful test on October 18, 2013, transmitting data between the spacecraft and its ground station on Earth at a distance of 385,000 kilometres (239,000 mi). For laser communications to become standard, NASA first must prove the concept is a viable option. Credit: NASA. Take, for example, Wall Street's emerging breed of high-speed traders who leverage the power of quantitative analysis, the speed of premium broadband and a multiplicity of microtransactions to pile up earnings one fractional penny at a time. Once in orbit, LADEE completes about 40 days of commissioning before starting a 100-day planned science mission that can be extended should LADEE have enough propellants.