Lasers, deep space, and Artemis II: Australia’s role in the new era of space exploration

Advances in laser optical communication systems enabled faster and more reliable data transmission across vast distances, a capability that is increasingly vital as missions venture deeper into space.

Support from the Australian National University and the CSIRO helped ensure uninterrupted communication between Earth and the spacecraft.

Artemis II and NASA’s Orion spacecraft

At the core of Artemis II is NASA’s Orion spacecraft, a deep-space vehicle that can carry up to four crew members for nearly three weeks at a time.

Lockheed Martin has been named the prime contractor for the spacecraft and is expected to deliver up to 12 vehicles for future missions, including Artemis III, which will see the first woman land on the Moon’s surface.

The European Service Module (ESM) is the core module of the vessel, delivered by the European Space Agency. The ESM enables Orion to power and propel, generating 11 kW through 33 liquid-fuel engines and four solar arrays.

Composed of three solid rocket motors from Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies, the abort, attitude control, and jettison motor are part of the new launch abort system that allows for almost instant evacuation in case of an emergency.

Notably, the Artemis II mission is the first time following technological demonstrations that NASA has installed an optical laser communications system aboard their spacecraft, which sought to test how effective the system is in transmitting ultra-high definition images, communications and data throughout human spaceflight operations.

These laser capabilities are world firsts, advanced tech achievements that have been successfully delivered by Australian agencies.

Australian National University: Laser Technology

Partnering with NASA, the Australian National University (ANU) provided the Artemis II team with the essential laser communication technology to transmit large volumes of data, imagery, and information to ground crews.

Before launch, anticipation of Australia’s new technology marked an exciting step forward towards the progression of space communications, with co-principal investigator for the Real Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) project at NASA, Jennifer Downey, saying: “Australia’s upcoming lunar experiment could showcase the capability, affordability, and reproducibility of the deep space receiver engineered by Glenn [Research Centre].”

“It’s an important step in proving the feasibility of using commercial parts to develop accessible technologies for sustainable exploration beyond Earth.”

RealTOR is NASA’s rapidly growing program seeking to develop portable, scalable ground station technology for laser communications, with ANU being critical to its development, testing, and progression.

ANU’s involvement, backed by over $4 million in funding from the Australian Government and the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant, saw its Quantum Optical Ground Station (QOGS) track, receive, and transmit communications from Orion.

The QOGS is a laser communications network that uses adaptive optics and quantum technology to link mission crews to ground controls.

Researchers based at Mount Stromlo in Canberra used the QOGS to communicate with the Artemis II crew via laser communications rather than traditional radio signals, enabling 100 times faster data transmission.

“During Artemis II, QOGS successfully received live, high-definition video from Orion during all phases of the mission, including receiving the longest-range laser link of the mission, at just over 400,000km,” Dr Kate Ferguson, ANU Institute for Space, Associate Director Strategic Projects, told Australian Aviation.

“The ANU QOGS achieved the system-designed maximum data rate of 260 megabits per second, which is more than 5,000 times the data rate during Apollo 11.”

This technology allowed the astronauts on board, Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist), to share critical scientific information and never-before-seen imagery of Earth from the furthest distance back to ground control.

The QOGS achieved over 15 hours of connection time throughout the mission, with the laser communications recording live internal and external camera views, and 4K video streams that were sent to NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston. These images and videos were included in some of the publicly distributed media from the mission.

“Australian researchers are recognised globally as world-class in optical communications,” said Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency.

“The involvement of ANU in the historic Artemis II mission is another signal of Australia’s growing capability and offerings for space exploration and space services here on Earth.

“The Australian Space Agency is proud to have backed its development.”

The CSIRO and mobile support

Alongside ANU, the CSIRO has offered major support to NASA through providing additional spacecraft communications and tracking capabilities.

Operating NASA’s Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC), the CSIRO aided in providing constant check-ins and communication capabilities throughout the nine-day mission via two major platforms.

Murriyang, the CSIRO’s radio telescope in Parkes, was utilised as a key ground station network throughout the mission and was instrumental in delivering additional tracking and data transmission capabilities.

“Murriyang passively tracked Artemis II as part of Intuitive Machines’ ground station network, demonstrating the network’s capabilities for future missions,” said CSIRO astronomer John Sarkissian.

“Artemis II was the first crewed mission Murriyang has supported since Apollo 17, 54 years ago, which was very exciting.”

The CSIRO Mobile Mission Operations Centre was another platform established to support the Artemis II mission, working directly alongside the QOGS to enable remote mission operations.

The centre is operable from anywhere in Australia, as it can be deployed and set up within hours, rapidly supporting mission capabilities when additional effort is required. Since the ANU ground station lacked a control room, CSIRO provided this capability so researchers could continue their work effectively.

“Seeing astronauts fly past the Moon again is incredible, but it’s just as exciting to see our mobile mission operations centre step up and support its first full mission,” said CSIRO engineer Craig James.

“Being able to position the mobile mission operations centre directly beside the ground station has simplified team and technology coordination, and its quiet, comfortable interior provides the team with a focused workspace away from the noise of servers and laser equipment.”

The CDSCC (and Australia’s wider involvement with NASA) is centred on the Deep Space Network, which is responsible for communication with spacecraft beyond low Earth orbit.

The Deep Space Network is NASA’s radio antenna system that provides continuous, two-way communication with spacecraft. It consists of three complexes in California, Spain, and Australia, positioned roughly 120 degrees apart so that at least one site can maintain constant contact with spacecraft and satellites as the Earth rotates.

Low Earth orbit, where most satellites and the International Space Station operate, requires different communications methods, which is why collective efforts like the Deep Space Network are needed to ensure missions are conducted safely and effectively.

Once a spacecraft goes beyond low Earth orbit, it enters deep space. These include missions to the Moon, planets, and deeper uncrewed exploration into the solar system.

These efforts require more powerful communication systems, precise navigation, and greater autonomy because they are much farther from Earth, where traditional space communication methods become obsolete.

“Something people don’t realise is the teams that operate the three complexes in the Deep Space Network operate the entire network when it’s their shift,” said CSIRO Education Officer Rhianna Lyons.

“So, when our CSIRO team is working, they operate antennas near Canberra, Goldstone in California, and Madrid in Spain to communicate with Artemis II and all the other spacecraft the Deep Space Stations support.”

History and importance of Australia’s role

Based at Mount Stromlo, ANU’s QOGS is strategically located so that coverage and communications with spacecraft can remain consistent throughout the mission.

“Geographically, Australia is an important place to locate ground stations,” Ferguson said.

“We fill a visibility gap for ground systems in the Northern Hemisphere that is critical for 24/7 mission communications and continuous data flow.”

Australia has long been a major international collaborator with NASA, using tracking stations in the 1960s and 70s to relay critical information as humanity first began exploring advanced spacecraft, drawing on astronauts who specialised in military aviation to crew some of the first Apollo missions.

“Australia was there for the first Moon landing, and CSIRO is excited to be here for these next important steps toward the long-term return to the Moon and future missions to Mars,” said Dr Douglas Bock, CSIRO Director of Space and Astronomy.

“CSIRO’s long-standing relationship with NASA stretches back more than 60 years, creating innovative solutions fuelled by our shared ambition to push the boundaries of space exploration and discovery to benefit life back on Earth.”

Throughout the Artemis I mission (launched in 2022), which gathered preliminary data on a new era of lunar and space exploration, the CDSCC played a critical role in providing tracking and communications technology.

“Our expert team at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex will help NASA stay connected with the astronauts on their journey to the Moon and back,” Bock added.

Future capabilities

Looking ahead, with the proven success of Artemis II, Ferguson says Australia may well be in a position to be a key supporter and contributor to future space exploration missions.

These early systems are laying the groundwork for future missions to the Moon and Mars, where high-speed, reliable data transfer will be essential.

“This really showcased the capability that we have here and highlights how Australia can continue to support future missions,” she said.

“The ANU laser communications demonstration during Artemis II was very successful and ideally positions ANU and Australia for involvement in future missions.”

“Australian capability will be particularly important for future missions and operations on the lunar South Pole, where we have increased visibility from the Southern Hemisphere.”

Laser communications using invisible infrared light are rapidly rising as an exciting new advancement in the space industry. While both infrared and radio signals travel at the speed of light, infrared operates at a much higher frequency, allowing significantly more data to be transmitted in a single link. This means more data is being sent back to Earth, ultimately advancing scientific discovery and understanding.

Laser communication payloads are typically smaller, lighter, and require less power than radio, an important feature given that modern-day spacecraft can generate much larger volumes of data than ever before.

These technologies, Ferguson added, are not just being used in space exploration. They provide valuable, high-speed, secure communications for telecommunications and enhance connectivity in remote areas for disaster response missions.

“We are increasingly reliant on data and connectivity from space for applications such as navigation, disaster management, national security and more,” she said.

“Laser communications can offer much higher data rates and increased security over current radio communications systems.

“The work we are doing at ANU in maturing the ground segment is advancing the capability for laser communications between Earth and space.

“Communications will only become more important as the complexity of operations increases and more data is generated.”

These systems position Australia as a key critical inclusion in the global space communications network, building on decades of ground station expertise.

As future missions demand greater data generation for more advanced missions, such as the push for Mars, Australia’s role in optical communication is likely to expand, cementing its place as a critical partner in the next phase of human space exploration.