NASA's Groundbreaking Laser Communication System to be Tested on SpaceX Resupply Mission to ISS

SpaceX's upcoming resupply mission to the International Space Station will include a device called ILLUMA-T, which will complete NASA's first two-way, end-to-end laser communications system. The device will transmit information via laser beams, offering advantages such as lighter equipment and higher data transmission rates compared to radio waves. Once in operation, ILLUMA-T will beam information to the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) aboard a U.S. Department of Defense satellite, which will then relay the information to ground stations in Hawaii and California. If successful, LCRD could serve as a relay for other orbital laser links in the future.