SpaceX to Launch Laser Communications Experiment to International Space Station Next Month

The ILLUMA-T payload set for launch will boost ISS communication capabilities and support future deep-space exploration, with NASA expecting significantly increased data transmission speeds and potential enhancement of science returns over long distances.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch the ILLUMA-T payload to the International Space Station (ISS) next month. This experiment aims to significantly enhance ISS communication capabilities and support future missions in deep space.
The ILLUMA-T system is set to transmit data through NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) satellite, which was launched in 2021. The system will use infrared light to transmit videos and images faster, which will boost science returns over long distances, particularly at the moon and Mars where new human and robotic missions are planned.
The ILLUMA-T system presents many advantages over radio gear, including smaller size and weight, less power usage which provides more resources for science instruments on the spacecraft's battery, and less issues in obtaining the required spectrum for launch due to the optical spectrum being less regulated.
Once installed on the ISS, ILLUMA-T will deliver data at 1.2 gigabits-per-second to the LCRD, which then transmits the data down to optical ground stations in California or Hawaii. The data transmission is then verified by engineers for accuracy and quality.
The ILLUMA-T payload is a collaboration project managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with NASA's Johnson Space Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory.