Robert Wall
July 11, 2025

The Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration’s flight laser transceiver is shown at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California in April 2021, before being integrated with NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. 

Credit: NASA

The European Space Agency says it has made the first optical communications connection between a ground station and NASA’s Psyche mission. The link established July 7 spanned 265 million km (165 million mi.) and connected an ESA ground station in Greece with the Deep Space Optical Communications…

Robert Wall

Robert Wall is Executive Editor for Defense and Space. Based in London, he directs a team of military and space journalists across the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific.

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