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How might lasers revolutionize deep space communications?

NASA tested high-bandwidth laser (or optical) communications for the first time beyond the Moon with a pioneering technology demonstration called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), beaming messages via laser across a distance of almost 16 million kilometers or 10 million miles. That's about 40 times farther than the Moon is from Earth, and it's the first time that optical communications have been sent across such a distance.

Traditionally, we use radio waves to communicate with distant spacecraft, but higher frequencies of light, such as near-infrared, offer an increase in bandwidth and therefore a significant boost in data speed. If we're going to be able to send high-definition video messages to and from Mars without a significant delay, then this is the tech we need."

Learn more about the DSOC experiment at https://nasa.gov/technology