When the mission Artemis II of NASA taking off from the historic Kennedy Space Center, in the USA, on April 1st, will be carrying on board one of the largest communication devices ever seen in the history of space exploration. The idea is to unite the four astronauts with experts on Earth, through a real “spatial internet”.
“From real-time conversations with mission controllers to the data that drives critical decisions, research and even calls home, space communications keeps astronauts connected,” explains Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, on the agency’s website.
It will be done by a combination of ground antennas distributed across the planet and satellites that will function as signal “repeaters”, guaranteeing almost uninterrupted coverage, regardless of the Earth’s rotation and the ship’s position.
Continuous, reliable and controlled communication from the beginning to the end of the mission, while the spacecraft moves, will be guaranteed by handoffsan operational process performed by automated systems that transfer communication from one link to another with logical continuity and without noticeable interruption for those using the system.
The Near Space Network, managed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, supports the initial phases of Artemis II. After the translunar injection (departure from Earth’s orbit towards the Moon), the support migrates to the Deep Space Network (DSN), operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which takes over communication on the route to the Moon, using long-range technology.
First operational test of deep space laser communications
The DSN, which is currently used to communicate with rovers on Mars missions, can be considered the backbone of deep space communications. Operating with an international array of giant radio antennas in California, Spain and Australia, it is what will maintain the link whenever the spacecraft is beyond Earth’s orbit.
But the big technological news is that: it will test the O2O system (Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System), which will be able to transmit live 4K videos from the Moon, at a rate of 260 Mbps.
Infrastructure of the future, O2O will be more than a test: he is the prototype of what will be communication for future colonies on the Moon and, eventually, for the first humans on Mars. In addition to the leap in quality and data speed, laser terminals are smaller, lighter and consume less energy than traditional radio systems.
Because the spacecraft sends more data than is practical to transmit and store with quality (especially videos), when the Orion information arrives on Earth, it will be compressed to reduce the volume. This strategy — which prioritizes crew communications and vital data — means essentials are never lost during the lunar journey.
There was a moon in the middle of the path (of the laser)
Despite advanced technology, Orion will face a planned communications blackout of approximately 41 minutes. This occurs due to a problem of geometric occultation, that is, when the ship passes behind the Moon, both radio (RF) and laser (optical).
When the ship reappears, DSN immediately resumes signal to restore contact. NASA intends to eliminate this phenomenon — which already occurred during Apollo Program missions — with satellites that maintain communication at all times, through the Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems, its own project that involves private partners.
With an eye on future missions, the American space agency selected, in 2024, the Texas company, Intuitive Machines, to create and put into operation the first initial group of satellites that will function as relays around the Moon. The first set of these lunar relays should be ready for demonstration during the Artemis III mission.
Functioning as an “invisible thread” that sustains the entire mission — from takeoff to splashdown —, NASA’s communication networks are a rapidly evolving technology that, using missions like Artemis II to test prototypes, is building a basis for more distant missions.
