Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science
Artists rendering of an OPALS downlink Image credit JPL/Caltech | |
| Operator | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Instrument type | Communications |
| Function | Laser Communications |
| Mission duration | 90 days |
| Began operations | 18 April 2014 |
| Website | http://phaeton.jpl.nasa.gov |
| Properties | |
| Mass | 159 kilograms |
| Number launched | 1 |
| Data rate | 50 Mb/s |
| Host spacecraft | |
| Spacecraft | International Space Station |
| Launch date | 18 April 2014 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Dragon Capsule |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral |
| COSPAR ID | 1998-067A |
| Orbit | Low Earth Orbit |
Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) is a spacecraft communication instrument developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that was tested on the International Space Station (ISS) from 18 April 2014 to 17 July 2014 to demonstrate the technology for laser communications systems between spacecraft and ground stations.
The purpose of OPALS is to do research into replacing traditional radio-frequency (RF) communications which are currently used on spacecraft. This will allow spacecraft to increase the rate at which data is downlinked by 10 to 100 times. It also will have less error than RF communication.
It launched from Cape Canaveral to the ISS on 18 April 2014 on a Falcon 9 SpaceX CRS-3 Dragon capsule resupply.
The experiment used commercial products rather than space qualified components.