Mars to Earth at an average of 29 kbits/s

Re:Mars to Earth at an average of 29 kbits/s by rwhitman on Friday August 10, 2012 @05:18PM (#4368306)

I read this the other day and found it interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_Internet

Apparently NASA had plans for launching an orbiter specifically as an optical communications hub for Mars but scrapped it in 2005:

"As of 2005, NASA has canceled plans to launch the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter in September 2009; it had the goal of supporting future missions to Mars and would have functioned as a possible first definitive Internet hub around another planetary body. It would use optical communications using laser beams for their lower ping rates than radiowaves."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mars to Earth at an average of 29 kbits/s by jk4930 on Friday August 10, 2012 @05:26PM (#4368344)

Now it's ESA's turn to try it: http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ESOC/SEMM5IHWP0H_0.html

(OT: Note the picture at the bottom, the astronaut is one of ours: Austrian Space Forum, a private space R&D org.)

[ Parent | on HN ]