Our Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) is gearing up for launch this fall, no earlier than Nov. 22 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket. Once in orbit, LCRD will demonstrate the benefits of using infrared lasers to communicate information from space. These benefits include increased data in a single downlink, as well as reduced size, weight, and power requirements for a communications system on a spacecraft. As we prepare for liftoff, learn more about how this technolo

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Project (LCRD) is a two year flight that aims to achieve high rate data transfer systems on a geosynchronous satellite, according to this video from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. | SEDS-USA

Our Laser Communications Relay Demonstration could revolutionize the way we send and receive data from space, with the potential to increase bandwidth 10 to 100 times more than current methods. We're targeting Nov. 22 for liftoff. Discover more: https://go.nasa.gov/3G0K9dS | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration