The ILLUMA-T (Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal) payload will be launching to the International Space Station (ISS) next month to show how missions in low Earth orbit can benefit from laser communications.

The system works by using invisible infrared light to send and receive information at higher data rates, allowing spacecraft to send more data back to Earth in a single transmission.

Space laser communications technology could provide 10 to 100 times higher data rates than traditional radio frequency systems can, for the same mass and power.

The test of the technology follows the launch of Nasa’s LCRD (Laser Communications Relay Demonstration) in December 2021. This is currently demonstrating the benefits of laser communications from geosynchronous orbit by transmitting data between two ground stations on Earth in a series of experiments.

The experiments include studying atmospheric...