NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications demo goes dark

"Carried aboard NASA's Psyche mission, DSOC demonstrated how data encoded in lasers could be reliably transmitted, received, and decoded. On September 2, the final communications pass was made from a distance of 2.34 AU ( Astronomical Unit [PDF]) or just under 350 million km (218 million miles). 12.4 Mbps was achieved, although the project's technologist, Abi Biswas, told The Register that this was amid partially cloudy skies. At 2.28 AU, Biswas said 20.8 Mbps was achieved with clear skies."

"The technology worked as advertised or better. At 19 million miles (30 million km) from Earth, DSOC achieved 267 Mbps. At 386 million kilometers (240 million miles), it achieved a sustained downlink data rate of 6.25 Mbps, peaking at 8.3 Mbps. In comparison, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) can manage [PDF] around 0.5 Mbps at a maximum distance from Earth (250 million miles, or 400 million km), rising to between 3 and 4 Mbps when it is closest."

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) completed its final pass with a potential reactivation window in the second half of 2026. DSOC, carried aboard the Psyche mission, transmitted laser-encoded data that was reliably received and decoded. On September 2 the final pass occurred at 2.34 AU (just under 350 million km), where 12.4 Mbps was achieved under partial cloud cover; at 2.28 AU clear skies yielded 20.8 Mbps. At 19 million miles DSOC reached 267 Mbps, and at 386 million kilometers it sustained 6.25 Mbps and peaked at 8.3 Mbps. DSOC is a demonstrator interfaced to Psyche for modest streaming, storage, and burst downlinks, while Psyche retains redundant primary radio communications.

Read at Theregister