The world’s first laser communication link … from the Moon!
A laser communications terminal on a private firm’s upcoming mission to the Moon has been announced during this week’s Paris Air Show.
Astrobotic of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and ATLAS Space Operations Inc. of Traverse City, Michigan are now linked at the laser – offering up to one gigabit per second of data to its customers.
“This is an historic, thousand-fold increase of bandwidth for Astrobotic’s lunar mission,” explains the firm’s press statement.
Virtual reality from the Moon
John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic says: “Laser communications have been sought after by planetary missions for years. ATLAS and Astrobotic are now making this capability a reality.”
According to Thornton, laser communications on the Moon will expand payload capabilities dramatically, enabling high definition video, ground breaking data-intensive experiments … even virtual reality experiences from the Moon.
“No doubt this is a foundational capability for building our future on the Moon,” Thornton adds.
Game changer
The ATLAS network provides affordable cloud-based solutions for space access in the rapidly growing global space market.
Sean McDaniel, CEO of ATLAS, explains that the partnership is “a real game changer for lunar communications.”
McDaniel says, up to now, communications for lunar missions have had no collaboration or continuity in efforts, meaning each time another mission launches, there needs to be a new communications solution.
“But our optical communications terminal provides Astrobotic’s customers with a turnkey solution,” McDaniel explains, for strong and reliable communications for the foreseeable future – between lunar missions and Earth.
Peregrine lunar lander.
Credit: Astrobotic
Lunar logistics
Astrobotic Technology Inc. describes themselves as a lunar logistics company that delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals.
The company’s spacecraft accommodates multiple customer payloads on a single flight, at $1.2 million per kilogram.
Astrobotic is an official partner with NASA through the Lunar CATALYST program, has 22 prior and ongoing NASA contracts, a commercial partnership with Airbus DS, a corporate sponsorship with DHL.
The new partnership brings the total number of deals in place for Astrobotic’s mission to the Moon to eleven.
CATALYST
NASA’s Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) initiative is establishing multiple no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with U.S. private sector entities. The purpose of these SAAs is to encourage the development of robotic lunar landers that can be integrated with U.S. commercial launch capabilities to deliver payloads to the lunar surface.
Back in April 2014, NASA announced selection of three U.S. companies to negotiate no-funds exchanged partnership agreements with the agency to advance lander capabilities that will enable delivery of payloads to the surface of the moon, as well as new science and exploration missions of interest to NASA and scientific and academic communities.
The selected companies were:
— Astrobotic Technology, Inc., Pittsburgh
— Masten Space Systems, Inc., Mojave, Calif.
— Moon Express, Inc., Moffett Field, Calif.
Cargo carrying Peregrine lander.
Credit: Astrobotic
Keepsake MoonBox
Astrobotic is also accepting small mementos for inclusion on its first mission to the Moon. The Moon Capsule protects an individual’s keepsake in flight and on the lunar surface.
All of the Moon Capsules on a flight will be integrated into a single Moon Pod on the Peregrine lunar lander.
After the lunar landing, MoonBox™ participants will receive images and videos of the Moon Pod on the Moon, attached to Astrobotic’s lander.
Resources
For more information on Astrobotic, go to their website at:
Also, go to this informative video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4xQ9e6zGaM
For additional info regarding ATLAS Space Operations, go to their Space 2.0 video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kauAOpoacMo&feature=youtu.be
Leonard David is author of “Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet,” published by National Geographic. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel series “Mars.” A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . This version of this story was posted on Space.com .
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