NASA | LCRD: From Vision to Reality

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has relied exclusively on radio frequency (RF)-based communications as the only viable medium for exchanging data between a mission and a spacecraft. Today, with missions demanding communication with higher data rates than ever before, NASA is taking steps to embark on a new era of communication technology. The Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD) project will help pave the way, pioneering technologies that will enable the exchange of data through beams of light.