NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#1

Post by derpenxyne » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 1:36 PM UTC

NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon
nasa.gov

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#2

Post by 2close4comfort » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 1:39 PM UTC

That is better than the connect at my house. I am moving there!

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#3

Post by Ellipsis753 » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:05 PM UTC

2close4comfort wrote: post #2

That is better than the connect at my house. I am moving there!

To NASA or the moon? I wouldn't think there's much good stuff to download from the moon but if you're on the moon then I'm sure there's plenty of cat videos you can download from Earth over that kind of connection.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#4

Post by erid » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:06 PM UTC

The latency must be huge though.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#5

Post by paulgerr » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:08 PM UTC

erid wrote: post #4

The latency must be huge though.

2.6 second round trip for light, so pretty huge ping times.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#6

Post by nraynaud » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:10 PM UTC

paulgerr wrote: post #5

erid wrote: post #4

The latency must be huge though.

2.6 second round trip for light, so pretty huge ping times.

That's why I always found moon people to be lame at quake!

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#7

Post by milliams » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:13 PM UTC

2close4comfort wrote: post #2

That is better than the connect at my house. I am moving there!

The latency would probably kill you though.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#8

Post by ck2 » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:15 PM UTC

How huge is a 1mm beam when it hits the moon (and visa-versa) ?

I wonder if wolframalpha can tell me...

Actually, I don't even know how to ask it the proper question.

Can anyone make this formula work in wolfram?

http://laserpointerforums.com/attachments/f51/17952-calculat...

update:

I think I figured this out as

      ((λ * L) / d)* 2

      (((630nm in meters)*(380000km in meters)) / (1mm in meters)) * 2

Which would be a nearly 500km wide for a 1mm beam on earth from a red laser at 630nm

The shortest wavelength laser I can find online is experimental violet at 400nm which would make a 300km beam on the moon.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#9

Post by gprasanth » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:15 PM UTC

erid wrote: post #4

The latency must be huge though.

Unless, our technology advances to always do stuff a couple of seconds in advance by knowing our intents.

Re: NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Transmissions to and from Moon

#10

Post by Kabacaru » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:18 PM UTC

So fine for torrenting crappy for gaming?