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NASA is conducting long-range laser communication tests through the Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) system. So far it has managed to stream high-resolution video at a distance of 31 million kilometers from the earth. To ensure that this laser communication system is ready to be used for their future missions, NASA has tested a hybrid satellite dish system that can receive radio and laser communication signals.
NASA's Deep Space Station 13 communication dish has been modified by placing seven hexagonal mirrors to receive laser signals from space. This 34-meter-wide parabola was used by NASA to set two world records for the most distant communication with the earth before.
What makes Deep Space Station 13 unique is that it can do radio and laser communications simultaneously without any interference. This will save cost to NASA because only one parabolic structure needs to be built for one communication task. Existing radio communication satellites can be modified to support communication using lasers.
DSOC was developed because the current radio signal communication technology is slow at around 5.2 Mbps to support more complex communication in the future. The DSOC system enables data transfer up to 100 times faster.
If humans want to build a colony on Mars or other planets, a high-resolution video communication system and large data transmission back to earth is essential.