# NASA's Spectacular Cat Video Transmission from Deep Space
Written on
Introduction to Taters the Cat
Let’s celebrate Taters, the tabby cat who serves as a remarkable example of deep space communication and the quintessential laser pointer enthusiast!
NASA has achieved a groundbreaking feat by utilizing lasers to transmit a cat video from deep space to Earth. This unique video, lasting just 15 seconds, features Taters lounging on a sofa while playfully chasing a laser pointer. While it may seem simple, this accomplishment heralds exciting developments for future space expeditions.
Engaging Content
The video itself is delightful and complemented by soothing jazz music, making it a joy to watch.
The fact that this video was transmitted at all is a remarkable technological achievement. It paves the way for significant advancements in future space missions, where the ability to send timely messages—regardless of whether they feature cute cats—will be crucial.
Details of the Transmission
Let’s delve into the specifics of this transmission: the who, where, what, and how.
- Who: Taters, the beloved pet of a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) employee.
- Where: The Psyche spacecraft, currently situated approximately 19 million miles away from Earth, which is about 80 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
- What: A video of Taters was transmitted from NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which was launched on October 13, 2023, and is headed toward a metal-rich asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter.
- How: Utilizing a laser array mounted on the spacecraft, signals were sent back to Earth in a near-infrared frequency—similar to the signals that your TV remote uses. The Hale Telescope at Caltech in San Diego was able to detect and decode these signals. This cutting-edge laser array is designed to capture distant emissions from Earth while compensating for the vibrations caused by the spacecraft’s engines.
The video was transmitted one frame at a time to Earth and was then streamed across California to JPL’s headquarters.
Speed of Transmission
Surprisingly, the video streamed at an astonishing speed of 267 megabits per second (Mbps). This is comparable to the average internet speed in American households in 2022 and is twice as fast as the typical Starlink service.
The primary objectives of this experiment included demonstrating that data could be transmitted over such vast distances and at a speed sufficient for effective information transfer. Both goals were successfully achieved.
As NASA embarks on more ambitious missions, spacecraft are traveling farther and requiring more data transmission: the first Mars rover, Sojourner, had a mere 6 megabytes of storage, while the Opportunity rover (active until 2018) could only transmit data at about 32 kilobits per second—akin to dial-up internet.
Looking Ahead
Today, the demand is for high-density sensor readings, high-resolution images, and even streaming video. Achieving this requires maximizing bandwidth to enable efficient data transfer.
What’s on the Horizon?
While the current technology is impressive, there are still challenges to overcome regarding distance. The 19 million miles between Earth and the Psyche spacecraft results in a communication lag of about 101 seconds. Even at the speed of light, this delay is significant.
In fact, if you were to communicate with someone on the Psyche spacecraft, you would experience nearly four minutes of lag for each exchange: two minutes for your message to reach them and another two minutes for their response to return.
In the context of the solar system, 19 million miles is relatively short. For instance, the distance between Earth and Mars varies widely, with a closest approach of about 34.8 million miles. This results in a communication delay of about 12.5 minutes when Mars and Earth are at average distances.