Laser Communications Relay Demonstration: NASA

02 May 2022 Laser Communications Relay Demonstration: NASA

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration – Today Current Affairs

• Recently, the US space agency ‘NASA’ (NASA) demonstrated its new communication system ‘Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). This communication system was launched in December 2021.
• It is the agency’s first ‘laser communications system’.
• LCRD will help the agency to test optical communications in space.

Today Current Affairs

About LCRD:

• The ‘Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)’ is a demonstration of the ‘technology’ that will pave the way for future optical communications missions.
• The LCRD instruments have been installed on the Space Test Program Satellite 6: STPSat-6 of the US Department of Defense.
• For this, it will be installed in a ‘Geosynchronous Orbit’ at an altitude of 35,000 km from the Earth.

Advantages of optical communication systems : The Hindu Analysis

• Optical communication systems are smaller in size and less in weight and require less energy than radio equipment.
• Being ‘smaller’ means more room for science instruments.
• Less load means less launch expense.
• Less power means less use of spacecraft batteries.
• Missions in the future will be equipped with unparalleled communication capabilities, with ‘optical communication’ complementing the ‘radio’ system.

Laser System Vs Radio System : The Hindu Analysis

• Laser communication and radio waves use different wavelengths of light.
• Infrared light is used in laser and its wavelength is shorter as compared to radio waves. This will help in transferring more data in less time.

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yojna ias daily current affairs 02 May 2022

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