Earth received a message sent by laser 16 million kilometers away

The information transmission It is one of the most important things for space exploration. This is usually done through devices such as probes and satellitesamong others. It all depends on the reception and the way of collecting data so that they can later be studied in detail.

For this reason, for decades Work was carried out on research into how to transmit this information and receive it efficiently.taking into account the distances and movements that make the issue more complex.

Nevertheless, NASA continues with research and projects that aim to improve the technologies that allow space explorationsince they consider it a key aspect to know as much as possible about the universe. But this requires a complex technological evolution that requires millimeter precision to carry out the missions that are being developed.

The experiment for receiving information

In this framework, one of the greatest achievements is linked to receiving long-distance messages. A experiment carried out by NASA itself and the Psyche spacecraft For more than a year, it has been testing the capacity of these communications through optical systems to cover long distances and achieve the reception of information even at millions of kilometers.

This mission, launched through a ship, pursued the purpose of demonstrating the possibilities of the Experiment of Optical Communications in Deep Space.

As an objective, the probe launched in the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket It would end up on a metallic asteroid that is orbiting between Mars and Jupiter to analyze its composition. Specifically in terms of communications, this experiment consisted of sending coded test data via an infrared laser from the satellite to the telescope. Hale of Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego.

According to the US agency, this test was successful, confirming that the first results were received on November 14, 2023. There, the infrared signals were connected to a laser beacon transmitted from the JPL’s Table Mountainnearly Wrightwood.

With this method they were able to show the capabilities and opportunities of the uuse of lasers to send and receive information. This marked the milestone of being the first time that it has been successfully received one so far away, almost 16 million kilometers from Earth.

That is, 40 times the distance between this planet and the Moon. The longest distance from which space information was obtained.

An asteroid hit Earth

As reported by the POT and the European Space Agency (ESA)a small asteroid, identified as COWECP5entered the Earth’s atmosphere on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. This cosmic fragment, which measured just 68 centimeterswas detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) just seven hours before your arrival.

Although it did not represent a significant risk, Its impact generated a spectacular luminous phenomenon in the skies of Eastern Siberia.

The asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 13:15 (Argentine time) about the region of Yakutia, Eastern Siberia. Witnesses hundreds of kilometers away were able to observe a very bright fireball illuminating the skywhich showed the impact of this small fragment. According to the ESA, The asteroid disintegrated in the atmosphere, which limited its visibility to a specific area in northern Russia.

The ATLAS system was crucial in detecting this potential threat early. This monitoring system, made up of four globally distributed telescopes, allows you to identify near-Earth objects days in advance. On this occasion, Kitt Peak National Observatory It also helped track the asteroid and calculate its trajectory accurately.